Forgotten Soul
by Kitten
Summary: Something is wrong with the sad girl who steps inside the Forgotten Hero’s pub. Something isn’t right with her life. Something that involves Julian, strange symbols and shadows. Lots of shadows. *Part One of the "Forgotten Heroes" trilogy*
1. Lost girl

I own only the pub and Madelyn. Everyone else is LJ Smith's  
  
I wandered the streets looking for some sort of haven from my emotional storm. It battered me   
around like the lost and forgotten soul I am.   
A real storm, an outside storm, suddenly kicks in and so I took refuge in a dark semi-empty pub.   
Inside, two men sat a table both hidden by the shadows. I could hear them talking from the   
shadows as I sat down at the bar.   
"Where's Rob? Off mooning over Kaitlyn?" one man asked with a snicker.  
"Rob came over long enough to inform me him and his new girlfriend were going out, Julian."   
The other man answered  
"New girlfriend, Damon? When did that happen?" Julian asked genuinely stunned.  
"It seems Rob never knew that a certain girl named Anna had a crush on him." Damon replied with  
a smirk in his voice.  
Julian snickered, "I remember him talking about her. When did ol' Robby figure out Anna liked   
him?"  
"Yesterday, when Anna asked him out tonight."  
Julian snickered again and I saw him raise his glass in a toast, "To Rob. May we have his   
luck."  
Damon chuckled, "Change of subject. Ever find out how you were brought back?"  
Julian choked on the sip. When he finished coughing, he said "No clue. Like I said before, I   
remember vanishing and then landing in some alley. That's it."  
I sighed and murmured, "Another forgotten creature"  
I heard Julian chuckle wryly, "Creature would be the correct term for someone like me."  
I looked over in his direction, tossing my mass of blood red hair over my shoulder. "I doubt   
it."  
I could hear another chuckle, this time from Damon.  
"Come into the pallor, little fly and come see the kinds of spiders you will find." Julian   
invited sinisterly.  
A shiver went down my spine as I rose from my chair and walked over to the shadowy table where   
Julian and Damon waited.   
My depression was long lost from memory when I saw the two men sitting before me.  
"Sit, I'll get you a drink." Damon said to me, as I stood stunned at his darkly handsome   
features. In the corner of my eye I could see Julian's strange blue eyes dancing with glee.  
Damon got up and forced me to take his seat across from Julian while he went to get a drink   
for me.   
"You should be happy he didn't help himself to a drink, Miss..."  
"Madelyn" I filled in slightly confusion as Damon came back with a glass of water and then sat   
beside me.  
"Why would you say that?" I asked frowning.  
Damon leaned over and whispered in my ear, "Because I'm a vampire."  
I turned and looked him straight in the eyes, "Oh, that would explain the blood breath."  
Julian busted up laughing as Damon pulled back and shook his head. Well, it was the truth...  
"So Madelyn," Damon said as Julian sipped his own drink to calm down, "What brings you here at   
this hour?"  
I looked down at the glass in front of me, remembering the pain that set me apart. The looks   
and whispers from school. The names: psycho, ugly, and veiled threats. Mostly the strange images   
and voices that was causing me to go slowly insane.  
"I don't think you'd understand." I finally replied quietly.  
Julian reached over and tipped my chin up so we were eye to eye, "From two forgotten creature   
to another, what's wrong?"  
I smiled as the tears finally came to my ugly hazel green eyes, "Well let's see, first there's  
school. Almost everyone there either threatens my life or treats me like crap. I used to love   
going to school, I was on the honor roll almost every time. My teachers thought I was the perfect  
student, but now? Everyone hates me."  
Before either one could interrupt, I continued "Then there's my family, very lovely picture.   
Mom is committed, dad thinks I'm nuts because of her and is so poor he has to live with his own   
parents, who by the way raised me since my parents divorced."  
As more tears came, I told them more, more than I ever told anyone, "My grandparents smothers   
me to death. I mean I can't be alone for one minute before they're yelling for me. Finally   
there's these stupid dreams! Dreams of death and weird symbols and shadows.."  
"Shadows?!" Julian exclaimed roughly grabbing a hold of my shoulders, jerking me out of the   
chair and shook me, "What about shadows?"  
I could see something ominous in Julian's eyes then. It was like staring at a frosted mirror   
and instead of seeing your reflection, you saw a distorted image of yourself. I recognized such   
an image and jerked free.  
"Your one of them!" I cried backing toward the door, pointing at the thing I knew as Julian,   
"You're one of the Shadow Travelers"  
I immediately ran out the door into the night, back into my emotional storm that became fiercer  
than ever...  
  
  
Special thanks go to Shamera for providing me with Anna's name (since I don't have Dark Visions   
with me). My friend Katalia for helping me out at 10 PM when she could have just ignored me.   
Finally extra special thanks go to jeporra whose *hint* got me to write this. 


	2. The Return

I still don't own anyone except Madelyn  
  
I dreamed my terrible dreams that night after I escaped from Julian and Damon and returned home.   
The shadows were talking about me. They knew I ran into Julian. They found it funny.   
I hated when they laughed. It sounded like a bones snapping, one after the other, after the   
other. I prayed they would stop laughing and finally they did, coming back to the subject of me.   
They crept out of their shield, the shadows, finding they had no need to hide themselves from   
me. They weren't like Julian, except for the eyes. No, they were monsters in shape and spirit. I   
wanted out of this dream right then.   
Why should I be the one to see these horrible shapes and faces? Why should I be the one to hear  
their demonic laughter? Why should I be the one they speak of? I didn't do anything to them, my   
mind screamed.  
But you did, a hideous whisper told me.   
"What did I do?" I asked meekly.  
Before it could answer, I was jolted awake by my alarm clock.  
After the misery that was called school, I wandered the streets much like I did last night. The  
storm of emotions returned just as strong and as harsh. It felt like a heavy weight was being   
slowly ground into my chest, making each breath harder and harder to take. Tears erupted from my   
eyes and blinded me. Despite I was totally blind, I kept walking and when my vision cleared I   
found myself back at the pub.  
I stood there for a moment shaking my head at the irony and stepped inside before I lost my   
nerve.  
The dance floor was packed with an odd assortment of people from businessmen to young children.  
At the various tables that were empty when I last visited sat pale vampires, animal like shape   
changers, and a few humans. The bar proper was packed with some many people I couldn't determine   
whether they were human or not. I could hear some laughter over the strange techo-trance music   
sometimes, other times just the moving beat.  
I started relaxing as the music flowed around me. Everything seeped away as notes past through   
my forgotten soul. There was no depression, no dreams, or shadows to haunt my life. Only the   
music and me existed in this world.   
I wanted to dance so badly then, but laughed it off as I pictured myself trying to express my   
new found freedom. Just as I gave up the dream of dancing someone plucked me onto the floor and   
we began dancing.   
I closed my eyes and grew graceful in my partner's arms, dancing to some haunting melody that   
mysteriously came up. We floated smoothly across the floor, unaware the crowd gave us room and   
soon began watching us in awe. Him and me, two souls joined for the joy of expression.  
I opened my eyes then and my gaze locked with strange blue eyes simply watching me without   
expression or emotion. Julian.  
I simply sighed, giving in for the moment and rested my head on his firm chest.  
After the song ended, Julian took my hand gently so to keep me at ease and escorted me to where   
Damon sat sipping a glass of blood.  
I could see the dark vampire smirking as we sat down, "Lovely way to get a girl's attention,   
Julie."  
Julian shot him a dirty look and turned to me; "We never finished our conversation last night."  
"Sort of hard when I'm running for my life." I replied with a small smirk.  
"So why aren't you running now?" Damon asked looking rather bored.  
"I'm tired. Tired of running, tired of the dreams, tired of seeing those horrible faces almost   
every night!"  
"So you know what my elders look like." Julian said as Damon yawned and left to get more to   
drink.  
I shrugged, "Sure. Why don't you look like them?"  
"Because I'm not as old." Julian went on to explain, "My kind are born perfect but as we get   
older, the evil inside us spreads to outer forms. When I get to be eons old, I'll probably look   
similar but I doubt it"  
"Why should you be different? You're born evil, you admitted it."  
Julian sighed as Damon returned, "Because I met a girl."  
Damon sat down and snickered, "Telling her about Jenny? How you fell in love with her and   
stalked her kidnapped her and her friends. How you..."  
"Damon shut up! You've done worse." Julian shouted.  
"You fell in love, Julian?" I asked curbing my curiosity about all of Damon's crimes.  
Julian chuckled and began telling me the story of Jenny. He told me about his elders' deal   
with Jenny's grandfather. He told me about how long he watched over her like a demonic guardian   
angel. He told me about Jenny and her friends. Then he told me about the games he played and lost to Jenny. He especially told me about his final game, where he lost his life.  
"So how are you back?" I asked after Julian was done.  
His eyes seemed to roar with blue flames as he said,   
"I was hoping you could tell me."  
  
TO BE CONTINUED...  



	3. Answers and more questions

I own only Madelyn, her family and the bullies. Madelyn's trick came from a Christopher  
Pike book. I don't own that either.   
  
"I was hoping you could tell me."  
Those words seemed to echo around me. Julian wanted me, to tell him, how he was brought back? I  
frowned.  
"How should I know, I only met you last night." I told him a bit harshly.   
Julian groaned and banged his head on the table as Damon shook his head.  
"He was hoping you were the one who resurrected him." Damon explained and I laughed.  
"Sorry Julian, I may dream about your elders and they may talk about me, but I was not the one   
who brought you back." I told him and got up to leave.  
I made it out of the seat before Julian's hand snaked out fast as lightning and took my arm. As  
I gazed into his eyes, I felt fear at the intensity of the windows to his soul.   
"You never had a stick with some runes on it? You didn't say some of those runes in a certain   
order?" he demanded.  
"No. I didn't see this stick nor have I ever said the names of those weird symbols in my   
dreams."I told him firmly and jerked my arm free.   
We glared at one another for it seemed like eternity until Damon cleared his throat, breaking   
our unwavering staring match.  
"Julian, why don't you write your name down and see if she might have saw it in her dreams?" he   
asked politely.  
Julian shook his head and turned to Damon, "Can't do that. If anyone gets a hold my name, they   
gain power over me. I'm like a genie, remember?"  
"Well it looks like she already has power over you, Julie." Damon replied wryly and passed him   
a pen and paper.   
I smiled a little when Julian blew his hair out of his face resignedly and began writing his   
name.  
"You even think about using this to trap me and I'll hunt you down and kill you." He said   
before handing me the piece of paper.  
I jerked the paper from his hand and glared at him, "And here I was beginning to think you   
weren't like all the rest of your marrow sucking elders."  
I saw him flinch before I glanced at the paper. The name seemed to dance before me and I felt   
like someone at school punched me. I tried to contain my reaction but when I looked up, I knew   
Damon knew I recognized the language and the name.  
"Ever hear of a psychic research center?" I asked them.   
"Yes, our old drinking friend Rob lives at one." Damon replied amused.  
"Well, I went to a research center with an old friend of my mother's." I told them. "I was   
wired to some machinery and placed in a hypnotic trance to get me asleep."  
"Because it was your dreams they wanted to look at." Julian interrupted.  
I nodded and continued handing Julian the piece of paper with his name back, "I started   
dreaming immediately. The doctors seemed pretty happy about that fact and they asked me to write   
and draw some of the things I saw. So I did," I looked up at Julian, "I wrote your name, the one   
on the paper."  
The memory of that day came flooding back. The strange storm appearing outside, the lights   
cutting out. The doctors screaming in the darkness and finally when the lights came back on.   
Everyone in the room with me was dead, ripped apart by something.  
I remembered the police saying later on that a lab animal, a dog, must have went wild and   
killed the staff, but that never explained why I was spared.   
After my mom's friend returned me home that night, I often wondered why I was the only survivor   
in the room. Was the "Lab animal" something I helped release? Was it a demon? Or was it Julian   
himself.  
"Before you ask, no, he didn't kill those doctors." Damon said snapping me back to reality.  
I shook my head and sat back down beside Julian, "Then who did? What else did I reincarnate?"  
Julian smiled, "Familiar with Norse mythology?"  
I nodded, "Oh yeah, my mom's friends are professors at various colleges on the subject.   
Sometimes they invite me over to study with their students. " I smiled, "You have no idea how   
much I know about that mythology."  
Damon snickered, "Julie knows more."  
Julian punched his arm, "Don't call me Julie."  
I tried not to laugh, "So what about Norse mythology?"  
"Remember the world of Niflheim?" Julian asked me without a trace of anger that was present in   
his voice moments ago.  
"Sure, that's where Nidhogg lives. It's a serpant that trys to destroy the tree, Yggdrasil."  
"It's also where I used to live." Julian revealed, "And where I died."  
"Cool, so what does that have to do with the doctors deaths?" I asked frowning.  
"During my games with Jenny, I brought two creatures wherever I went. Jormungand and Fenris."  
I finally came to me; "I brought two of Loki's children here? A wolf and a snake?!"  
"It would explain why you were spared and it does sound like them." Julian said with a shrug   
and a smile that could make a nun swoon.  
I looked over and found Damon flashing me a smile that could melt hearts, "He lives with them   
even now. By the way Jules, how are you paying for your little apartment?"  
Julian smiled sinisterly and replied, "The same way you do and don't call me Jules either."  
I sighed right before I felt a rough hand on my shoulder and spun around in my seat. I then   
came face to face with two of my school bullies, some football jocks from my first class.  
"Well, if it isn't Maddy the mad. What are you doing in a cool place like this?" the one who   
grabbed me sneered.  
His friend slapped him on the arm, "Maybe she's hearing those voices here and is gonna torch   
the place."  
The first one's smile grew dark, and the grip on my shoulder tightened "Well then we better   
make sure Maddy here doesn't do anything."   
Damon cleared his throat, drawing their attention "Gentlemen, could you release Madelyn? We   
have yet to finish our conversation." Both of them sneered at Damon, who was suddenly alone at   
the table with me.  
"Why should we, man? We out number you?" the second jock demanded before hearing a menacing   
growl behind him.  
The entire club was silent as Julian said, "Because I have a wolf and a really big snake that   
demands it."  
The two men and I looked over at the two glowing beasts. Once called the Lurker and the Creeper,   
Fenris and Jormungand looked as nasty as ever. Especially with a demonic looking Shadowman   
grinning behind them.  
They immediately released me and were escourted by two giant werewolf bouncers outside. Fenris   
and Jormungand followed close behind, making sure they didn't come.  
"Did they hurt you any?" Julian asked sitting back down beside me.  
"Not unless you count a slightly bruised shoulder." I replied trying to still my rapidly   
beating heart.  
"You do know that I could have influenced those two to release Madelyn." Damon said to Julian   
as the music and the pub went back to its normal partying self.  
"Yes, but why waste the effort on them." Julian asked with a smile, "I have my pets around to   
keep idiots away."  
I stood up then to leave the two, but again Julian stopped me.  
"Why are you leaving? The parties just begun." Damon flashed a smile at me from behind.  
"I have to get home before my family sends out the army to find me." I responded jerking my arm  
free, though I had a feeling Julian let me go himself. "I wasn't kidding when I said my   
grandparents are overprotective. Plus today is my dad's day off and he said I could see my mom."  
"Will you be fine going home alone?" Julian asked me and shrugged, "Those two could be waiting   
outside and I can..."  
I silenced him; "I'll be fine. I'm pretty sure your 'pets' scared them off of me."  
Damon saluted me with his glass of blood as I turned and left, "Be careful. Julie will just be   
so mad if you're harmed."  
"Salvatore, shut up."  
I laughed and left for home.  
  
My visit later that day went well. We talked about school and normal things, carefully avoiding   
the reason she was placed in a state institution and my dreams. Both were touchy situations.  
I did talk about Damon and Julian. How nice and slightly exotic each of them was. My mom told   
me the only reason I thought they were exotic was because they were foreign. I laughed. If only   
she knew how exotic and foreign.  
Finally the staff and dad call the visit to a close and I was forced to leave. Mom only smiled   
and said her normal strange farewell.  
"Farewell, sweet dreams. Dream dreams of Vanaheim."  
Dad shook his head and drew me away.  
That night, I thought back on the words of my mother. Vanaheim was one of the nine worlds, home  
of lesser gods and goddesses and a pretty nice place. These lesser gods brought health, youth and  
were masters of magic.   
I remember when I was younger, mom would tell me stories about these people and how they graced  
her with my birth. How she tried and tried to have children, only to miscarry or have them   
stillborn. I used to cry for my lost siblings every night and prayed they went to Vanaheim to   
play with beautiful gods.  
After mom was put away, I stopped thinking about the stories and my siblings. Vanaheim wasn't   
real and my siblings will never get to do anything.  
I went to sleep on that note and began dreaming once more.  
The shadows surrounded me and began whispering once more. They laughed off and on, speaking   
about possibilities and me. I listened just to see what I might learn.  
"She is strong, stronger than we first surmised."  
"She brought the youth back." A second voice hissed.  
"Does he know what has unleashed him? What she is?"  
"No" a third voice snapped like a whip. "To him, she is what she appears to be."  
"So many possibilities."  
I sensed sinister plots about me revolving around these distorted minds. Why was I in these   
plots? What were they talking about when they said possibilities? What were my possibilities?   
Again, what did I do them?  
One of the shadows seemed to hear my question and chuckled.  
"You are full of questions."  
I nearly snapped awake at the pure evil of the voice but I finally wanted answers and stayed   
asleep.  
"I hear much from your people that brings them up." I replied politely.   
"You shouldn't listen then if you don't want to have all these questions."  
"I have no choice. I go to sleep and this is where I go."  
"You don't just go, you seek us." It hissed  
"How do I seek you?"  
I sensed a sinister smile creep on its shadowy face "Do you wish to know the answers to all   
your questions."  
"Yes."  
"What are you willing to give me to know?"  
I paused to think about this. I knew I had stepped right into the monster's trap, but because I  
knew it gave me the advantage.   
I could tell this was how the Shadow Dwellers worked. This one expected me to ask what it   
wanted and it would reply me, pure and simple. It wanted what I could do and control it. Logic   
dictated, at least to me, if I could recreate Julian- I could kill him or kill the Shadow Men   
without that stick Julian spoke of. If I could kill them, that meant they didn't have control and  
they liked control. Just then I had an idea how I could get what I needed.  
"I will give you my heart." I replied solemnly.  
It chuckled acknowledging my win over its game, "Many possibilities. I will answer your   
questions but only three."  
I nodded as it continued, "I give until you dream tomorrow to think of the questions you will   
ask."  
"It's a deal."  
It chuckled again, "The deal was made before you even played our game."  
  



	4. Madelyn's day

Read other disclaimers, it's late  
  
What to ask, what to ask. Should I ask what I really am? Or should I ask what I could   
really do? I have to be smart and phrase it correctly and precise so I won't get an answer I   
don't need or that leads to another question. What are the three most pressing questions?  
"Madelyn Olslin," my English teacher demanded snapping me back to reality "What do you   
suppose Shakespeare meant in his eighteenth sonnet."  
Eighteenth sonnet, I asked myself. Which one was that? Was it the one where he compares   
thee to a summer's day? Or the one where he seems to be yelling about denying love?  
"I think he's trying to express his feelings on love." I said quietly and praying I was   
right.  
My teacher glared down at me and then went on lecturing. I sighed in relief.  
I went out for my lunch, taking full advantage of the open campus policy we had. I opted   
to treat myself to ice cream at the local shop nearby. I needed brain food.   
Once inside, I immediately ordered a double scoop ice cream cone consisting of peppermint ice   
cream and orange sherbet then sat down at an empty booth. But before I could take one bite, Joan   
Riley joined me.  
Joan was one of the popular girls at my school, with her obviously dyed brown hair cut   
above her shoulders and gray eyes. Her figure was slim due to all the diets of frozen yogurt like  
the cone she held in her hand. Her clothes were of the latest fashions straight out of the teen   
magazines. But Joan wasn't like most of the popular girls; she actually was nice to me and   
occasionally would sit with me. Like today.   
"Hey Maddy, what's up with you?" Joan asked me and began daintily licking her lunch.  
"Nothing really just the usual problems of my life."  
She laughed, "I wouldn't call two hot guys saving yer bacon nothing."  
I groaned and took a bite of my ice cream, "You heard about that?"  
"Heard?! It was all over school!" Joan exclaimed.  
I groaned again, "Oh no."  
"Oh yes, so what are their names? I heard the one with the two animals was absolutely   
edible. Of course the dark one did sound just as good."  
"Their names are Julian and Damon. Julian was the one with his two pets and Damon was   
the 'dark one'" I answered, "I advise you to not cross paths with either."  
"Why's that? They yours?" Joan asked coyly.  
"No!" I exclaimed shocked and added calmer with a frown, "Those two, aren't exactly   
what they appear to be."  
Joan shrugged, "Hey, you're the one that knows them best."  
"Could I ask you something, Joan?" I asked all of a sudden.  
"Shoot."  
"I have a chance to find out why I dream about the weird stuff I do, but I can only ask   
three questions."  
"I gotcha now. " Joan said hold a hand up, "You need some help thinking of questions to   
ask."  
"The only thing is they have to be precise and won't lead to pointless questions to   
explain the answers. The person I'm asking is out to trick me into using all my questions   
needlessly."  
She snorted, "That's mean."  
"That's how he works. Going to help me?"  
Joan nodded and both of us began to think as we ate our lunch.  
"You could ask why you dream that weird stuff." Joan exclaimed.  
I shook my head, "He'll probably pop back with I ask for it. He told me this morning I   
basically ask for the dreams."  
Joan scowled and licked her yogurt, "This person seems real cruel, Maddy. Why mess with   
him?"  
"Because he's willing to give me three questions to help me."  
Something struck Joan, "Why not ask how to control those nightmares? You can't distort   
that!"  
I took out a notebook and pen from my bag, "You actually can distort that question but   
not the basics." I wrote the question how do I keep from seeking you and your people in my   
dreams?   
"Ok, you can ask about those symbols you see."  
"Runes, I see runes. Someone already told me the answer to that one as well." I told her   
politely.  
"Julian or Damon." Joan asked with a smirk.  
"Julian, now back to the questions."  
"Cool. Do you know what the shadow people are really?"  
"Yes."  
"Want to know how you ask for these dreams?"  
I smiled and quickly wrote how do I seek you, the exact question I first asked that got   
me caught up in this question mess. After I wrote the question down I quickly finished my ice   
cream cone, it was getting close for lunch to end.  
"Last question Joan. What else could I ask?"  
Joan seemed to smile sinisterly but it was nothing compared to Damon and Julian's   
sinister smiles. Once you see those two leer at you, everyone else's is second best.  
"Why not ask who you can ask for the rest of your questions." She told me.   
I wrote down the final question, "Thanks a lot for the help."  
Joan shrugged, "We're buds. Want to meet me at the new hotspot for a drink? I'll pay."  
"Sure!" I exclaimed, "What is the latest hotspot for this season."  
She smiled, "Your lil pub slash dance club."  
I smiled and laughed, "I'm game."  
I enjoyed the rest of school buoyed by the rare visit by Joan and the promise of treating  
me later that day. No one could bring me down from my cloud nine. No name calling in the halls,   
no threats, absolutely nothing brought me down.  
After school, Joan met me and let me use her cell phone to inform my family I was hanging  
with Joan and not to worry.  
"Those guys shelter you so much, Maddy. Why don't they relax and let you have fun." Joan   
demanded.  
"They think someone's after me or something."  
Joan laughed, "Why would they think that? You're too nice to have enemies."  
I shrugged and was silent until we entered the place of our destination.  
Joan walked in like she owned the place, snatching two bottles of soda as she passed the   
bar and dropped off a ten, obviously too much money for two sodas, then she took over a table. I   
followed reluctantly.  
" I love these places." Joan exclaimed dancing in her seat as I sat down.  
I sighed and opened one of the sodas then took a sip, thinking of Julian strangely   
enough.  
"Did you know that a bunch of supernatural creatures hang here?"  
"Yes, Joan."  
"Hey mind if I get a few of my drinking friends to join us? They're real nice." Joan   
asked after spotting some people come in.  
"Sure."  
Joan stood up on the table, "Hey get your butts over here!"  
I blushed as two couples came up and sat down. One couple consisted of a girl with long   
dark hair that looked auburn in the pub's lights and had the most unusual blue eyes I ever saw.   
Her boyfriend had an aura similar to Damon's. His eyes were gray and his hair was dark. The other   
couple consisted of a Native American girl and a blond guy with goldish eyes. They were   
introduced as Kaitlyn, Gabe, Anna and Rob.  
"This is my fellow school attendant, Madelyn Olslin." Joan introduced.  
"You're not friends?" Kaitlyn asked puzzled.  
"Not really. I would gladly be friends with Maddy, but Madelyn is a strange chick to be   
friends with." Joan explained. The four exchanged wry looks.  
"I'm called Mad Maddy for a reason." I revealed.  
"I don't think you're mad." Came voice behind me. Before I knew it lips brushed my own   
and Julian sat next to me.  
"You're misunderstood." Damon said sitting next to Joan.  
"Well hello you two." Rob greeted, "I see Julian is over Jenny." His chair was abruptly   
jerked out from under him.  
"Lesson for you Robby, don't mess with Julian unless you have the power to back it up."   
Damon said as Anna helped Rob up. He turned to Gabe, who looked about to say something, "And no   
Gabriel, you don't have the power. Julian's psychic enough to take on your mortal mind." Damon   
stressed the word mortal, hinting Julian wasn't human.  
"So what are you Julie?" Gabe asked to his girlfriend's obvious horror.  
"Don't show him." I ordered, "You do and I'll ask your elders how to erase you."  
Julian paled, "Yes ma'am" he murmured.  
Joan and Rob looked at me with awe.  
I turned to Gabe, "Julian is a dweller of another world that's alongside our own. Read up   
on your Norse mythology for details. Oh by the way, I remade him and his pets."  
"She was the one who brought you back!?" Rob exclaimed gawking at Julian and me. "That   
would take the runestave and a lot of psychic power."  
Damon flashed a smile, "Actually, all Madelyn did was write his name down while she was   
sleeping."  
Rob's jaw dropped, "Sleeping?"  
Anna jerked Rob's sleeve, "Um do you know these two?"  
"I was about to ask but I'm too polite." Joan said with a smirk directed at Rob.  
"We used to drink together, talking about lost loves." Rob said and Kailyn blushed as   
Anna shot her man a dirty look.  
I busted up laughing, "Aww poor you three. No girls to seduce regularly."  
Julian leaned over, "Are you so sure about that?"  
I blushed and shoved him back.  
"Talking dirty to your savior?" Damon asked obviously enjoying the show we presented.   
Julian only smiled.   
"So what kind of psychic are you Madelyn?" Anna asked me.   
I adverted my gaze, "I don't think I'm a psychic. Psychics don't bring dead men from   
other worlds back to life. Or dream of runes and shadow dwellers."  
"So what are you exactly?" Kaitlyn asked politely.  
I looked up at her, staring her straight in the eyes, "I don't know, but I will tonight."  
I swore I saw her shudder and curl up in Gabe's protective arms. It didn't really matter   
to me; I had similar things occur in school. This time however, it struck a chord in me. These   
four appeared to me as something more than what they seemed. I began to put two and two together.  
"You four wouldn't happen to be psychics?" I inquired bluntly. Beside me Julian chuckled   
at their looks of surprise.  
"Actually yes, all of us are." Rob replied rather stunned.  
Damon patted him on the back, "Don't be so surprised, Rob. Madelyn did the same to me   
when we first met."  
"And what a funny face you wore, Salvatore." Julian added.  
Damon took up the challenge; "What about your face when she started explaining her   
dreams and screamed shadow traveler? Hmm?"  
I groaned when both of them suddenly laughed. Men.  
"Oh Madelyn?" Julian asked putting his arm around me then captured my eyes with his, "What   
did you mean by you'd find out tonight?"  
I seemed to be drawn into a wonderful blue world where I felt compelled to answer every   
question Julian asked. Ok what was the question? Oh yes, about the shadow man and my three   
questions.  
Suddenly my blue world got dark and more sinister. I found myself again looking at the   
frosted mirror and spying the evil inside Julian. An evil that surpassed what most in the world   
has seen around them. This evil was alive somehow; slowly swallowing up any light Julian ever had   
or had a chance to have.  
I shook myself free of Julian and his mesmerizing gaze, "I better get going. My folks are   
probably freaking out."   
"But Maddy, you told them..." Joan began to say as I fled for my life.  
"I think he scared her." I heard Anne say to someone as I reached the door.  
I sensed Julian smiling as I heard Rob reply, "I think he knows."  
  
The moment I entered my house, I saw the same thing I always saw when I came home. My   
grandmother laboring in the kitchen fixing dinner for everyone. I could hear my father in his   
room watching some action packed movie with the volume too loud. My grandfather was sitting in   
the living room with almost all the lights on and the news blaring while he read his newspaper.  
"Hello Madelyn, how was your day?" my grandfather asked over the five o'clock narration   
of the local newscaster.  
"It was a day, grandpa." I replied dashing into my room and shutting door against the   
noise. Still hear and there, an explosion from dad's room next door or a screaming refugee from   
the news across the hall could be heard.  
I tossed my book bag in its special corner next to my desk and flopped down on my bed   
then looked around.   
Posters of pastel unicorns and words of inspiration hung on the pale pink walls. On my   
bed were sheets and a comforter of pink and white. Next to my bed, was my mom's old white hard   
wood desk and in front of that was a window over looking my neighborhood. Across from my bed,   
on a matching white dresser full of clothes sat crystal statues of ballet dancers and a snow   
globe I got as a souvenir when I got to see The Phantom of the Opera. Next to the globe was a   
picture of my mother and me.  
My mom was a beautiful woman. Her blood red hair cascaded down her back in waves that   
mine would never achieve. Her emerald green eyes danced as she swung the tiny waif with red   
pigtails around in a still hushed circle. Her yellow sundress curved around her willowy figure as   
she and I danced in the photo.  
I remembered when the picture shot and closed my eyes to the memory. It was mother's day   
and I had picked her the most beautiful flowers I could find. Pretty yellows and blues were in my  
special bouquet, which were actually weeds I found in the woods near our home.   
When my mother saw them she laughed and accepted them like they were roses instead of   
weeds. Then she picked me up and swung me around. Dad saw us like that and snapped the picture   
that now sat where it stood now.  
Dinner was done and already eaten by six, in time for my grandparents to kick back to   
watch Wheel of Fortune like always. Dad wandered back to his room and began watching the same   
movie he watched before and I went back to my own room.  
I flopped down on my bed immediately after stepping in and shutting the door and curled   
up with my favorite book. Soon I was caught up in the story of Beauty and her Beast.   
Not long after I reached the point where Beauty runs off to save her Beast, I grew tired   
and sleepy. So after storing the book safely on my desk and turning off the lights, I fell asleep.  
Then the dream began...  
  



	5. Good night, Bad day

Sorry this part was so late. I've been in a place with no phone or computer (gasp)  
Special thanks go to Elena Gilbert for changing my view of the high and mighty Julian.  
  
  
The mist swirled around me throwing the skirt of my black gothic dress around my ankles.   
My surroundings, what I could see that is, was like the woods I pictured were in my book I was   
reading just minutes ago.   
A shadow approached me and I found myself faced to face with the Grim Reaper, complete   
with sickle.  
"I like your choice of a meeting place. We have long hunted in places like this." It   
hissed with the voice of the shadow man from my prior dream.  
"I had no idea I had control of my dreams." I replied seeing if I could push an answer   
out of him.  
It chuckled and wagged a skeletal finger at me, "You are good but too obvious in your   
game. I came to answer your three pressing questions, not to give you every answer on a silver   
platter."  
I had to smile, "Fine, how do I seek you and your people?"  
"You go to sleep believing you will see and hear us. So believing this, you unconsciously   
look for us so you may hide. That is how you seek me and my people."  
Ah, I get it. So to stop dreaming of them, I shouldn't fear to dream about them. When I   
stop fearing, I'll stop looking for them and end up dreaming of them. There go questions one and   
two.  
"You've answered two of my questions I prepared, so I'll ask a pressing one. How did I   
create these surroundings?" I asked as the wind whipped up my dress again.  
"It is simple. You had a sinister forest on your mind before you fell asleep, so you will   
still have when you sleep. Simple logic." It hissed obviously enjoying my ignorance.  
"Well I feel dumb now." I muttered finally gaining control of the annoying wind and   
forcing it to calm.  
"You shouldn't feel inferior. You are young, young people have to learn. You are learning   
now." I sensed it smile, "For one your age, you are considerably knowledgeable. It's almost   
magical.."  
I sensed a trap for me to use my final question without thinking. Well I knew a trap when   
I heard one! And I wasn't one to fall for one, especially from a shadow traveler like him!  
"Science is magic in its own way. My intelligence is just a mixture of my parents DNA.   
Scientists have found DNA dictates almost everything about a person."  
It laughed and I wished I wasn't that funny, "Again you allude traps I set for you. Many   
possibilities, Madelyn, so many."  
I shuddered at his use of my name, "So you and your people have constantly said." I   
finally steeled myself for my final question and added, "I want to know who else can give me the   
answers I seek. I want to know more than you'll give me without a fight."  
He nodded and seemed oddly pleased, "I understand. The youth had a girl who gave up and   
it killed him."  
I recognized the tale. He was talking about Jenny, Julian's first love. I also recognized   
the trap.  
"To answer your final question, the person you seek is your mother. She knows   
everything."  
I stood frozen and lost control of the dream. Slowly I was back to the shadows where all   
the shadow men were babbling about what one of their own told me.  
"You shouldn't have told her."  
"She won the game, it was fair." My shadow man replied.  
"But now she will have her answers, we won't be able to play with her."  
"There are others to play with." An third hissed before I was jarred awake by my   
grandmother's call for breakfast.  
Since it was Saturday and Saturday was pancake day, I found myself forcing sloppy pancakes   
loaded with syrup in my mouth as I sat thinking about my dream. My mother knew why I could bring   
Julian back from the grave? How does she know? Is that what really drove her to her insanity?  
I then began to wonder if my mom was truly insane like my family always told me. They   
told me mom tried to kill me not once but twice. My father seemed to relish telling me how he   
saved me from my mom's cult friends and how he stopped their pagan sacrifice of me that final   
time.   
Hmmm, pagan...  
After breakfast I immediately dialed Joan's private number and from the sound of her   
muffled voice, woke her up.  
"Hey Joan, it's Maddy."  
"Madelyn? What's wrong, you sound funny? Kinda agitated and excited." Joan moaned.  
"Remember my questions?" I demanded.  
Pause, "Yeah what about them?"  
"I got them answered. Including the most important one."  
Pause  
"The one about how to control your dreams?"  
"No!" I shouted angrily, "Who to ask for more questions. I need to see my mom."  
She suddenly sounded alert, "Your mom? What does she have to do with this whole thing."  
"I think it might have to do with her old witchcraft pals. A few of them are professors."  
"I didn't know your mom was a witch." Joan said stunned a bit.  
I snorted, "Well neither did I, but I starting putting the pieces together this morning.   
Think you can drive me to the asylum?"  
Joan groaned, "No can do girlie. My mom wants to go shopping with me and she won't take   
no for an answer."  
I thought for a moment, "Ok, I'll see about tracking the boys down."  
I heard Joan snicker on the other side, "The boys, gesh. Ok happy hunting. Bye."  
I said good bye and hung up the phone and dashed to room. After throwing on yesterday's   
jeans and top and telling my family I was going out with some friends, I dashed off to the pub.  
As I ran, I prayed I would catch at least one of them drinking or chatting with Rob. I   
even hoped Rob and his friends were available. I figured one of them had a car and would drive me   
to my mom.  
The pub was barely alive when I got there. The shadowy bartender wiped the wooden bar   
with a white rag in typical fashion of his position, his eyes watching me as I searched the thin   
crowd for familiar faces. My luck ran out, no one I knew was there.  
With a sigh of defeat, I began walking out.  
"Looking for Salvatore or his pal?" the barkeep asked from the shadows as I past by.  
I stopped and faced him, "Do you know where I could find one of them?"  
The man seemed to smile and I sensed that he wasn't as human as his shape told, "Damon   
lives about ten miles away in a beach house by the lake. Julian stays upstairs"   
A key was slid over to me, "but he might be bunking with his other drinking buddy or even Damon." The man added as I took off past the bar and up some stairs I hadn't noticed as I past the bar.  
Julian's room was easy to find, it was the only one with a sign that read: Welcome to my   
world shaped into a square. I sounded like Julian, so I unlocked the door and stepped inside.  
For a man who looked like a god, I remembered thinking upon entering the small room, he   
sure doesn't have the tastes of one.  
The walls were covered with shelves of junk. From book of poetry that included many works   
by Poe to little gold statues of Buddha and a modern stereo system playing some acid rock turned   
down low.   
The Kitchen was cluttered with various food boxes, both empty and ready to cook. Pizza   
boxes from Dominoes and the store were neatly stacked in one corner with Chinese take out and a   
mousetrap.  
It's probably to get the snake some free food, I thought peering in an opposite corner   
where groceries were packed.  
Sixteen boxes of microwave pizza were neatly piled one on top another next to a bag of   
dog food already opened. Next to the bag was a folding table loaded down with more food, a liter   
bottle of spring water and an aquarium full of bugs and mice. Big bugs and mice, I might add.  
My gaze drifted to the couch in front of me. There sleeping like a baby was Julian and   
company. Julian obviously just collapsed face first and immediately went to sleep and the snake   
slithered over and draped itself happily on the couch and rested his head on his master's   
backside...which looked pretty good! His wolf was curled up on the floor mere inches from my feet   
snoring loudly.  
For a moment I thought to turn around and pretend I didn't come in but...  
"Enjoying the view?" a muffled voice asked.  
I blushed and asked stupidly "What view?"   
Julian rolled over leaving the sleeping snake's head in a place my eyes could help but to   
look, "Of my room, my friends, my butt." He smiled then, "And I like people looking at me and not   
elsewhere."  
If I thought I wasn't blushing red enough, I was then.  
Julian chuckled and sat up, again moving the snake, this time on the couch, "What brings   
you to my parlor little fly?"  
I began to pace, "Well I won a little word game with an elder of yours."  
Before I could finish, Julian exploded.  
"What?! Do you even know what could have happened to you if you lost?" He shouted, "Death   
would be a mercy compared to some of the sick things they'd do."  
"I won, it doesn't matter." I said firmly.  
Before I could blink, he had a hold of my arms in a painful grip and forced me to look   
him in the eyes, "Don't be naïve."   
I began crying and shoved him away, "Do you think I asked for this? Resurrecting you,   
your snake and your little dog too? Do you think I asked to hear those evil creatures? No I   
didn't!"  
I went on before Julian could say the apology that I could see about to come out, "And for   
your information, Mr. Know it all, I learned how to stop dreaming of them and learned who could   
tell you how I brought you back!"  
With that said I stormed out, down the stairs into the pub and out the door leaving   
Julian with his jaw hanging down around his feet. Then went back and slammed the barkeep's key   
down on the bar and left again.  
I was seething by the time I returned home. My entire family could sense it and   
thankfully left me alone. I have no idea what I would have done if my grandfather asked me   
sweetly if I was all right.   
Joan called around lunchtime and I relayed to her what happened in Julian's room.   
Everything from entering to leaving in a storm of anger.  
"I still can't get over the fact I was staring at his butt!" I exclaimed.  
"I can't believe he called you on it. Bet you were blushing bad." Joan replied laughing.  
"Not as much as when he caught me looking elsewhere."  
"Oh nooo. I can't blame you, he is hot." Joan groaned, "Would I had love to be in your   
shoes when you went in his room."  
"I wish I never met him."  
Joan snorted, "No you don't. You now know what's been driving you nuts and now you can   
control it." She giggled, "Besides you like him."  
"I do not!" I denied furiously.  
"Sure you do. He's attractive, shows an interest in you.."  
"Not the kind you think." I told her, "I brought him back from the dead, remember?"  
"Maddy, he's been flirting with you non-stop."  
"Has not." I argued, "That's just his nature."  
I could tell Joan was smirking, "Do the other shadow things act like Julian?"  
"Pretty much."  
Joan let out a growl of frustration, "Maddy, you are such a blond." She quickly changed   
the subject, "Can you get out again? I'm free."  
"I think so, just got to eat lunch or get it on the way over." I replied.  
"Good. Tell your folks I'm on my way now to take you here to show off the new clothes I   
got and mom'll feed you here."  
"Okay see ya."  
I hung up and did what she told me. My family accepted the line and by the time Joan's   
convertible pulled in, I was sent off with smiles.  
"Are you going to feed me? I'm hungry and my folks didn't give me any money." I asked   
meekly as Joan drove away.  
"Of course. Did you know our favorite pub serves the best chili cheese fries?" Joan   
answered with a cunning smile.   
"Traitor." I muttered a moment later as we pulled into a parking spot at the pub and got   
out.  
Everything appeared normal as we walked up to the building. Trance music spilled out   
every time someone were to come out. People laughed as they approached their vehicles, mainly   
Porches and Corvettes. Nothing gave Joan or I an inkling of what was about to occur.  
Right before I could open the door for Joan someone came up from behind, picked the two   
of us up and dragged us kicking and screaming into a nearby alley.  
Dozens of thoughts went through my head. These were rapists or murderers and Joan and I   
were their unlucky victims. I asked myself what could have made us targets and the usual why me.   
After they reached the alley, they slammed us against the wall and I got a good look at   
the two as we got our breaths back.  
The two were masked men dressed all in black. One held a small steel like handgun   
trained on Joan while the other approached me with a nasty looking dagger. A dagger you'd expect   
to see in a old barbarian B movie.  
"Finally the gods will be appeased." The one with the dagger said almost right in front   
of me.  
Sheer black fear swept through me and I squeezed my eyes shut expecting any moment to   
feel the blade slicing my throat or slammed in my heart.  
What did happen was a familiar growl and hiss came along with the sound of a crow.   
I opened my eyes just in time to see the crow dive at the gun wielder causing him to drop the gun   
to protect his face from the crow's sharp talons. The guy with the dagger was tackled by Julian's   
wolf and wrapped tightly along with his friend by Julian's snake.  
Right as the action ended, Rob and Julian came running toward us.  
I forgot I was still somewhat mad at Julian and lunged into the safety of his arms that   
immediately closed around me.  
"What happened?" Rob asked Joan as the crow transformed into Damon.  
"Those thugs there were gonna kill Maddy!" Joan exclaimed beginning to sob uncontrollably   
and I shuddered.  
"Why would they want to kill Madelyn?" Rob inquired glancing at the two thugs.  
"I heard something about appeasing some gods." Damon announced flashing a smile.  
"That narrows it down a bit" Julian said as I caught the scent of... tequila?  
I backed out of Julian's arms, "Who's been drinking?"  
"Julian." Rob answered as Damon and Julian began arguing. "He got himself sloshed and was   
doing an impression of the Lord of the Dance on the bar for everyone until just a second ago when   
he summoned his pets, exclaiming you were in trouble."  
"Our gods will protect us" one of the thugs sneered at everyone, "The girl will be   
sacrificed."  
"Your gods won't be quick enough to save you from me." Julian snapped at him and then   
turned back to Damon.  
"Why do these guys want to kill me?" I asked and then exclaimed frustrated "Don't I have   
enough problems in my life with the visions of runes and stuff."  
"I could ask" Damon replied with a demonic smile, flashing his suddenly long canines.  
Julian added his own sinister smile as the distinct crunch of bones could be heard and   
the two men screamed.  
"Stop it both of you!" I shouted almost about to start crying along side Joan.   
Rob patted the two of us on the back as the powerful Julian and Damon seemed to be at a   
loss on how to handle two sobbing girls.  
"Ok, what should we do with these jokers?" Rob asked me, "I'm sure the police will want   
to hear what just happened."  
"No!" Joan and I shouted in unison.  
"Maddy and I are supposed to be at my house, checking out clothes." Joan explained.  
"My family will never let me out of their sights if they find out I was almost murdered."   
I added.  
"Right, the cops are out. Any ideas?" Rob asked and quickly added, "That doesn't involve   
murder."  
Everyone was silent.  
"I know a place." Julian said suddenly smiling in that strange scary way of his. "Doesn't   
involve murder. No way for these men to ever bother Madelyn again."  
Rob frowned, "Where?"  
"Never mind that." Damon said obviously sidetracking his drinking buddy. "Why don't you   
drive the ladies home and I'll pick you up after helping Jules with the men."  
He reluctantly followed his instructions.  
Damon arrived for Rob later that night. I knew this because Joan and I were on the phone.   
Upon hearing Damon was invited in, I demanded him on the phone.  
"Greetings Madelyn, to what do I owe the honor." He purred.  
"Where are the guys who attacked me and Joan? I didn't like the look on Julian's face."  
He chuckled, "They are with Julian, of course. They are very safe if you must know."  
I knew a word game when I heard one, "Tell me Salvatore, what is their exact location? I   
know you and Julie better than to just let them go."  
"Ah, no wonder he is so infatuated. They are currently resting in his pets stomachs and   
their blood is in my own." Damon obviously smiled, I heard Joan sigh, "It seemed such a waste so   
I had dinner."  
"I didn't want them dead!" I screamed.  
"Oh they aren't dead. The two are very much alive... for now."  
"I'm gonna kill him." I muttered.  
"It is so hard to find such an entertaining drinking partner. Killing Jules would be such   
a waste"  
I didn't dignify that with an answer and just hung up.  



	6. Sunday Morning chaos

As fate would have it, instead of the torment of dreams, I had the torment of utter   
boredom. Not a very bad exchange, I would have to say but I was bored!  
My grandparents went to church, as always a tad upset I no longer went with them. I had a   
feeling they thought I was devil worshipping or smoking pot. Yeah right, if only.  
My father was at work by the time I crawled out of bed to enjoy my nice and sweet dry   
cereal long after the house emptied.  
"Good morning, hope you don't mind I let myself in."  
I screamed before I realized Julian was sitting drinking coffee in my kitchen. On second   
thought, I screamed because Julian was there, drinking coffee.  
"You creep!" I exclaimed marching over to him, "What do you suppose you're doing here?"  
He held up the coffee mug and smiled. Smart Aleck.  
"I see you're here having something to drink but why are you here?"  
"To see if you are ok and get some business taken care of."  
"What business?" I asked frowning.  
Julian smiled, "Seeing you're mother. Joan mentioned she could answer our mutual   
question." He looked down at my nightgown, an oversized T-shirt that showed alot of leg. "Nice   
shirt."  
I blushed and skittered off to get myself breakfast.  
When I returned with my cereal, Julian was still sitting at the table with his coffee.  
"Anything I ought to know?" he asked sipping the strong brew.  
"Mom's name is Caroline but her friends call her Maiden."  
"Would she be, by chance a witch?"  
I shrugged, "Actually I was thinking that yesterday. I've always heard she tried to kill   
me in some pagan ceremony."  
Julian quirked an eyebrow, "Appeasing gods, was she?"  
I stiffled a groan by shoving a spoonful of cereal in my mouth.  
"Some call for human sacrifices, Madelyn. Your mother.."  
"Is just a crazy lady." I snapped as soon as I swollowed, "She's nice and sweet and.." I   
sputtered for something else I could say in defense. "My dad would never let me see Momma if she.."  
Julian patiently waited for me to say more.   
I covered my face with my hands, "I don't know. I can't believe my mom would be involved   
with those two wackos. From what my dad's told me, I have to." I looked up at Julian. "Why me?"  
He took a sip of his coffee, "Why not?"  
"Because I don't deserve this!" I exclaimed jumping to my feet.  
Julian smiled omniously, "You don't want your life? I can take it if you want, kill you   
right here." I shuddered as he rose to his feet and approached me, "Your family will come home,   
thinking everything is normal as can be. They'll putter around, delight in their existance then   
find you, wrists slit, ODed on heart medication or something, very dead."  
With every step he took, I took one back until I was backed into the wall and face to face  
with a monster I forgot existed.  
"Would you like that to happen?" Julian asked me quietly, mere inches from my face.  
My eyes widened as I shook my head.  
He flashed me a devish smile and walked away, "Good. Now eat your breakfast."  
Like a good little girl, I walked back to the table and sat next to Julian to eat my now  
soggy breakfast. After I forced it down, I recieved a pat to the head. Good little Maddy. Sit,   
stay. Good girl, arf arf.  
"Now what?" I asked wondering if I should go out and buy a collar to go with my good little  
self.  
Julian rose from his seat and jerked me to my feet, "First you stop thinking of yourself   
as a dog and then you get dressed."  
I started to walk away and turned back with my mouth agape, "How'd..?"  
He smirked and made a shooing motion toward my bedroom.  
When I came back into the kitchen dressed in jeans and a top, Julian was still sipping coffee.  
"Is that the 'never runnith out of brew' cup? You've been drinking that same cup for   
awhile." I asked as I put on shoes and then wrote a note to my folks as to my location. Joan's house.  
"Nothing magic about this cup. I just got a refill when you weren't looking." A car honked  
outside the house, signaling the arrival of our ride.  
"Shall we depart? Or shall I get another refill from the coffee machine." Julian asked   
when I didn't immediately get up to leave.  
I took a deep breath, "Let's blow this taco stand."  
As we left, I heard a soft chuckle come from Julian.  
"You mortals and your expressions." Chuckle, chuckle.  
Our ride turned out to be an Italian in a black Jag. My shock didn't come from the driver  
himself but the company with him. Through the dark tinted glass I could make out two figures in the  
backseat.  
The window rolled down and Damon flashed us a devilish smile.  
"You will never believe who I ran into Jules." he said before the two figures stepped out   
of the car. A jock and his girlfriend.  
The jock wore his letterman jacket with obvious pride. His dark hair was neat and trim, his eyes  
hazel from what I could see. His girlfriend, I could sense was special. Her golden hair was shoulder length  
her eyes were the forrest green I always wanted in life.  
Julian appeared nervous for some strange reason. The answer to why the unflappable Shadowman was  
uncomfortable came a second later.  
"Jenny, Tom.. Hi" Julian said somewhat shell shocked.  
So this was the girl he died for, I thought brushing past Julian to get in the car. He grabbed my  
arm and stopped me for an introduction. "Madelyn, this is Jenny and Tom."  
I pried his fingers off my arm, "I figured." I replied flat and turned to Damon, "You are  
up to something."  
He gave me his version of an innocent smile, which wasn't very innocent, "Moi? Never. Are  
we leaving Julie?"  
"For the last time don't call me Julie." Julian snapped.  
I refrained from smiling like Damon was and got in the backseat along with Jenny and Tom, who were silently  
laughing.  
"Damon says you resurected Julian without the runestave." Jenny whispered to me while Julian  
got in the frontseat.  
"Yup, been talking with his buddies too." I replied. Tom looked mortified along with Jenny.  
"No biggie, it was a reward for a word game I won in my sleep." I reassured with a shrug.  
"You are not to talk to them again, got it." Julian ordered as Damon sped away from my house.  
"You can butt out of my life. Once you find out how and why I did what I did, butt out." I responded.  
"I can take care of myself."  
"Who was it who nearly got herself used as an offering?" Julian demanded flipping the   
visor mirror down so he could see me. All I saw was eyes.  
"Who was it who was dancing a drunken jig prior?" Damon shot back quietly with a smirk.   
Jenny and Tom cracked up.  
"Interesting picture there." Tom commented and got an elbow from Jenny.  
"Both of you shut up." Julian ordered and turned his attention back to me, "My elders are  
not to be messed with. Jenny can tell you."  
Jenny, Jenny, Jenny, I thought feeling like Jan Brady with Marsha.  
"I always found Jan facinating." Damon replied flashing me a smile.  
I blushed as everyone shot the driver a puzzled look.  
"You should take Julian's advice. The other Shadowmen are really dangerous to be playing with."   
Jenny told me. Tom nodded next me.  
Stupid little jock and airhead girlfriend, I thought forgetting Damon was listening until  
he snickered.  
"I'm beginning to agree with you there, Madelyn. I don't know what was ever seen." Damon said.  
Julian's face darkened, "I'm going to call Stefan and Elena on you for this."  
"Go right ahead Jules." Damon replied, "See what it gets you."  
"So is the Creeper and Lurker with you?" Jenny asked disarming any other possible arguement.  
Julian's eyes slid to her, "Yes."  
"Jenny and I are planning on getting married." Tom revealed.  
Still a bit insecure are we, I thought as Jenny sighed.  
Julian was thinking the same thing, Damon told me telepathicly and I stiffled a laugh.  
"Congratualations then. I will get an invitation of course." Julian said unruffled.  
"Of course!" Jenny replied before Tom could. "It wouldn't be a wedding without our hero."  
"However forgotten." I caught Julian mutter.  
The ride was spent in almost complete silence. The only time there was the least bit of   
conversation was when Jenny asked questions about me or Damon's relationship with Julian.  
"We share drinks every now and again." Julian told his ex. "Damon, Roband I all come   
together about every month or less, drink, talk and leave."  
"Moon over lost loves, play mind games." I said to myself. "Normal as can be."  
Jenny looked at me, "You seem upset about something."  
I looked at her, fully aware a set of blue eyes and a set of dark eyes were watching me  
"Not upset just not used to Julie and Damon and their brand of fun."  
"And what brand of fun do we have?", Damon purred as we pulled into the drive of the asylum.  
I rolled my eyes, "The same mind games the guys at school play with me. Pretend interest.."  
Julian cut me off, "You hold the keys to my existance, how can I not have an interest in   
you?"  
I cleared my throat "Yeah, I do. So remember that the next time you start your stupid   
games."  
From the front seat, Damon chuckled "I'm sure he will."  
We reached the enterance of the facility and the four of us piled out, leaving Damon to   
park the car.  
"Remember to not start the party without me." Damon said flashing me a smile.  
"Wouldn't dream of it." I replied wearily with a weak smirk.  
Inside, the staff were disarmed with Julian's natural powers of illusion and we cleared security  
with everyone thinking I was with my dad and grandparents. Tom hated Julian casting him as my grandmother.  
I thought it was funny.  
Who would ever thought that the day would turn stranger as I recieved the answers I   
wanted and secrets were revealed.  
  
******* Muhaaaaa, don't you love cliffhangers?! ******** 


	7. Secrets and mystery

My mother was as beautiful as ever. Sitting in a rocking chair, her hair was past her waist with gray streaks near the roots. Her figure was as youthful as a model's. The loose white pants and shirt that were patient issue couldn't disguise that fact.  
  
Julian dropped the illusion just before mom turned and saw us in the doorway.  
  
"Hello. Come inside, invite your friend inside." Mom greeted and motioned to her window where a black bird pecked at the window. "He's been waiting very patiently."  
  
Tom walked over and opened the window as everyone stepped inside the room. He invited the bird in as Julian shut the door behind us then Damon transformed.  
  
"You know I always thought vampires couldn't stand sunlight." Mom commented merrily as Tom shut the window.  
  
"Who says I like it?" Damon replied with a brief smile, "Caroline Olslin, I presume?"  
  
My mother looked at him and nodded, "You're Damon, correct?"  
  
He was shocked only for a moment and recovered his cool as my mom smiled, "Yes, I would be."  
  
"Madelyn told me about you and Julian." she turned to Julian then, "I appreciate the joke, it's very amusing."  
  
Julian smirked, "Thanks."  
  
"I have a question. Julian, what are you doing here and what are your motives?" Mom demanded politely as she stared out the window.  
  
He shrugged, "I got resurrected thanks to your daughter and my motives were to find out how she did it"  
  
"I know how." She turned and she stared straight at me, "Would you like to know?"  
  
"Yes, tell us." I replied.  
  
Her story began simply. Before she met my father, she formed a coven with her two older friends. Then they recruited others, until their coven grew large. The eldest of the coven founders' title was The Crone. The next eldest was The Mother. My mother's title was The Maiden.  
  
She revealed that most of the people they had inside were in for the thrill of magic, which was easily given. But my mother and two friends, they wanted more than the simple thrill of a fireball. They wanted it all. The ultimate magic.  
  
My mother and her friends weren't stupid and taken the easy path to the magic by invoking the Shadowmen. No, they went straight to Odin himself.  
  
By then, mom told, she met my father and began dating, something that annoyed the coven. Then they got married.  
  
Mom smiled in remembrance. I could tell my parents were happy at that time and place. There was love, there was hopes and dreams. Then mom's face darkened and I feared the next words out of her mouth.  
  
"Then I got pregnant." She said. I felt Julian's arms come around me from behind and I unconsciously leaned back accepting the support as my world shattered.  
  
Her story became more complicated as she told me of the coven's anger at the defilement of her maiden self and the discovery of the ceremony to achieve their goal. Then they began breaking my parents up.  
  
In her eyes, I could see the betrayals she faced. Lies, half truths and imagined lies on both sides haunted her still.  
  
I could see the anger she felt toward my father. The lust for revenge she needed quinch.  
  
She was staying with the coven by the time I was born and the time for revenge had come. The coven showed her the ceremony they all sought then. A simple little spell. It required the Maiden, Mother and Crone of the coven to make a plea to Odin and give him a sacrifice of the coven. A plan formed when she read those words. Her revenge: using her husband's child in the ceremony. Me.  
  
Silent tears rolled down my face at my mother's heartlessness in regard to me. She went on like I wasn't even there.  
  
In my minds eye along with my mother's words, I set the scene of my attempted murder.  
  
The moon was full over the meadow. Firelight threw shadows over the trees of the surrounding meadow and the faces of the coven. Voices chanted in a long forgotten language, invoking magicks from an alien world. A baby thrashes and screams in a blanket as she is laid on an alter stained with blood. Three women cloaked in white approach the alter, one bent on revenge carries the familiar dagger the man from the alley had.  
  
There is a shout as the blade is raised over the babe then the area is swarmed by police. A man, my father and the vengeful one, my mother, fight over the sacred blade as the coven is scattered, breaking the circle of power. My father wins the fight and tosses the blade away as the Crone and Mother are taken away in handcuffs. My mother falls to her knees as she realizes she has lost.  
  
"So what did you ask Odin for?" Julian asked as he gently rocked me side to side.  
  
Mom turned toward him, her eyes bright and hissed "Knowledge."  
  
I flinched as she continued, "Knowledge of the future. The knowledge of how to use the runes in any world. Knowledge of the Shadowmen. Their real names so to gain power over them. Everything!"  
  
"I think we got our answers." I said, my voice rough with tears.  
  
Damon saluted my mother, "It's been fun, Caroline." He flashed her a smile before he transform and headed for the window, which Tom opened and shut behind him.  
  
Julian put up the illusion of my family once more, again casting Tom as my grandmother.  
  
"Will you visit me again tomorrow? Madelyn?" ,my mom asked softly.  
  
She looked so pathetic and sad. More tears came to my eyes as Jenny opened the door and Tom led me out.  
  
"We'll see." Julian answered.  
  
Damon waited for us outside in human form at the car holding the door open for me wearing a pair of chic sunglasses that suited him well. I managed a weak smile as thanks before climbing in behind Jenny and Tom.  
  
The ride home was quiet and I took the time to nap only to end up dreaming of the runes again.  
  
They formed designs that soon formed names that ended up on something that I could only describe roughly as a stick. The stick was an interesting thing flowing with diamond like print and then I saw a hole where once a name had been.  
  
That's where Julian's name was, I thought.  
  
You would be correct, an unfamiliar voice replied startling me almost to awakening.  
  
Who are you, I demanded as the stave spun around revealing more names.  
  
A friend.  
  
I sensed myself smirk. Okay fine.  
  
I have gift for you and ask nothing in return.  
  
Until you want something, I thought darkly.  
  
I require nothing in return at anytime. Here.  
  
The stave was replaced by a silver disk with four hammers and four forked lines separating them, all in gold. On the hammers were silver runes.  
  
I'd like for you to wear this  
  
I looked at the medallion spinning before me and asked incredulous, That's all? Just wear it?  
  
Of course. What else would you do, eat it?  
  
I stopped myself from laughing and asked cautiously, "What does it do?"  
  
Nothing now but whenever you need, it will be there, the voice replied cryptically.  
  
Gotcha, all right I'll wear it, I said and suddenly woke up to Jenny and Tom gasping.  
  
I looked down at where they were staring and found the same medallion from my dreams resting on my lap dangling from a big old fashion silver chain.  
  
  
  
Sorry this took so long. Hehe another cliffhanger for you to chew on. Please tell me what you think. 


	8. Death and drinks

I looked down at where they were staring and found the same medallion from my dreams resting on my lap dangling from a big old fashion silver chain.  
  
"What in the.." Tom murmured, his jaw agape.  
  
Julian tilted the mirror where he could see the medallion I wore around my neck. He chuckled and shook his head, "Well I'll be."  
  
Jenny picked up the medallion and examined it, "What is it? Is it bad?"  
  
"No, this is a very good sign." Julian said with a smirk.  
  
"Why is that?" I asked cautiously.  
  
A cat like smile answered me.  
  
I rolled my eyes and kicked back for the rest of the ride to my house.  
  
Joan met us a mile or so from my house. She thought that maybe it would be better for my folks not to see me coming home in a strange expensive car with strangers. I agreed, that would probably think I was selling myself out or something.  
  
"Hey boys!" Joan greeted as I got out of the Jag and into her corvette.  
  
"Hello Joan." Julian replied politely.  
  
Damon flashed her a smile, "Are you still on for a bite to eat?"  
  
I turned on Joan as Julian disguised a laugh as a cough.  
  
Joan hopped in her car and smiled coyly, "Name the time and place an' I'm there! Bye boys." With a wave we took off in a cloud of dust.  
  
"What did your mom tell you?" Joan asked a moment later.  
  
"That she tried killing me in a ceremony that gave me Odin's knowledge." I replied wearily.  
  
"Bummer. Can you help with my calculus homework since you have this knowledge?"  
  
I smirked, "Got your book with you?"  
  
She smiled getting the response she wanted, "Yup!"  
  
We parked behind my grandparents' tan car and beside my dad's teal truck once we reached my house. As I got out of the car, I wondered what my dad was doing home from work early. Something wasn't right.  
  
Once I stepped inside, I found my family waiting for me. Grandma watched me with weary sad brown eyes in contrast to her nice permed short white hair and crisp red dress. Grandpa also stared at me with sad brown eyes that had seen too much went against his neat brown suit and tie. Dad stared with cold emotionless blue eyes. His short graying brown hair looked as if he ran his hands through it too many times, leaving it a mess instead of its usual neat self. He still wore his security uniform of iron black slacks and tan shirt but the side arm was missing.  
  
"Could you come back later?" my dad ordered barely glancing at Joan.  
  
She slowly backed out of the door, sensing the ominous air in the room.  
  
After the door closed my grandmother spoke, "Maddy, sit down, your father needs to tell you something."  
  
I obeyed and sat in a chair acrossed from my dad.  
  
"Madelyn, I know this going to be hard to hear but..." my dad paused to gulp.  
  
Something is defiantly wrong, I remember thinking before dad continued.  
  
"Your mother is dead."  
  
A wave of pure coldness hit me and I felt even more of my world fall apart.  
  
"Mom's dead?" I croaked holding back the stinging tears that came from nowhere.  
  
Dad knelt in front of me and hugged me tightly, "I'm so sorry Maddy."  
  
Tears flowed down my face and onto his uniform without me knowing or really caring, "What happened?" I cried.  
  
My father was silent as if debating with himself and then said in a low voice as he slowly rocked me, "Some people broke into the institution and killed her. They.. cut out her voice. It happened just an hours ago."  
  
"Who did it? Did they get away?" I demanded angrily pushing my dad back and looking him in the eyes.  
  
"The security people got two of the four. It was your mom's old cult friends."  
  
The floor dropped out of me, or so it seemed. I slowly rose to my feet knowing exactly what I needed to do and who I needed to see.  
  
"I need to take a walk." I told them in a daze and was out the door before they could object. Joan waited for me in her car.  
  
"The pub, now." I ordered her. We made it there in record time.  
  
Inside Damon was telling Jenny and Tom of what Julian's latest adventures since being resurrected. Julian was sipping water glaring at Damon.  
  
I marched right up to them and sat beside them.  
  
"Hello Madelyn, what draws the fly again into the parlor?" Damon inquired with a brief smile.  
  
Julian frowned at me, "Have you been crying?"  
  
Joan sat beside me, "Sweetie what's wrong?"  
  
I broke down and began crying, "My mom's dead. They cut her voice out trying to stop her from telling me about the ceremony."  
  
Joan hugged me to her while the two most powerful men I ever met seemed to be at loss as to what to do.  
  
"Madelyn, I'm so sorry." Jenny said getting in on the hugfest.  
  
Tom was about to take my hand but I caught Julian glaring at him in a menacing way. Tom kept his hands to himself.  
  
"She wanted to see me again." I sobbed as Joan smoothed my hair back.  
  
"And you would have, sweetie." Tom told me. I heard a muffled crunch and a muffled exclamation from him a second later.  
  
I lifted my head to see Tom cradling his hand. I frowned at Julian, "What did you do."  
  
He flashed me sinister smile and replied innocently, "Nothing."  
  
Jenny released me and went to attend to Tom.  
  
"Julian." I warned, "What did you do to Tom?"  
  
Damon snickered as Julian replied still smiling, "Nothing. I can't help it if Tommy's hand was crushed by an invisible force."  
  
"Julian!" Jenny cried hugging Tom.  
  
For some stupid reason, probably stress, I cracked up. As I laughed, Julian looked smug.  
  
Damon signaled the bartender for a round of drinks that were promptly left on our table. Joan, Tom and Jenny got a cokes, Damon a shot glass of blood, Julian a glass of water while I received a root beer float.  
  
The bartender has got to be a mind reader, I thought as I sipped my float through a loopy straw, this is just what I needed.  
  
"Feeling better?" Julian inquired with a boyish cock of his head.  
  
I hugged him and Damon, "Much. Thanks you two."  
  
Damon shrugged, "If you knew how the bartender knew you wanted a float you wouldn't be thanking me."  
  
"I don't care if you read my mind without permission. You've done it before, so why should it matter now."  
  
"Point taken."  
  
I turned to Julian, "And you, don't make a habit of crunching hands to get a laugh. I only laughed because of stress."  
  
He nodded, "Stress'll do that. So what are you going to do now?"  
  
It was my turn to shrug, "Enjoy my drink, go home and sleep."  
  
"And the coven? What if they go to your home?" Tom asked.  
  
I paled just before Tom's other hand went crunch and he whimpered, " I guess I'll just have to pray they don't and Julian stop hurting Tom."  
  
"As you wish."  
  
"Maddy why don't you stay with me?" Joan asked, "You'll be safe."  
  
"But my family won't. I don't want any more of my family to die at those monsters hands." I responded as tears filled my eyes.  
  
"I can guard your house." Damon said, "No one would pay attention to a crow outside your window."  
  
"I can make myself invisible and guard everyone." Julian added.  
  
Before I could object, Joan exclaimed "What a great idea!"  
  
"NO"  
  
"Maddy, be reasonable." Joan frowned, "You and your folks'll be safe. Damon and Julian are two powerful dudes."  
  
"Julian and Damon are two evil dudes" I argued.  
  
Damon and Julian exchanged looks.  
  
"I don't argue that." Damon replied with a flashing a smile.  
  
I pointed at him, "See, he admits he's evil. Joan, he's a vampire. Julian is an other dimensional being, you think I'm gonna be safe with that company?"  
  
"I don't think she trusts us." Damon said to Julian.  
  
"I wouldn't trust us." Julian replied wry.  
  
Joan huffed, "Well I trust you two."  
  
"You're foolish." Damon replied.  
  
"Ok it's settled." I said ending any possible argument. After a brief pause I continued flat, "You're going to do it anyway, aren't you?"  
  
They both nodded.  
  
I dropped my head on the table, "What did I ever do to get this?" I moaned. 


	9. Slumber party

Pardon the lateness, my babies keep me busy  
  
Joan dropped me off at my house just before nightfall. As she drove away, I heard a crow caw from beside my window.  
  
Inside my family were eating dinner. The rich smells of baked potatoes, roasted ham, and buttered carrots floated in from the dining room.  
  
The table was set for four and food was on my plate waiting for me to eat. I sat down at the table silently and began eating the delicious food set before me.  
  
"Where did you go?" my grandfather asked me after a brief moment of silence.  
  
"Nowhere."  
  
"You must have gone some where." my grandmother said.  
  
"I went to Joan's." I lied, "That's the girl who was with me earlier."  
  
My grandparents nodded, satisfied with my answer. Dad, on the other hand, knew I was lying. He shot me look as if to say, "We'll talk privately later."  
  
After dinner, grandma and grandpa settled down for their normal routine of watching the news and whatever program was after it. Dad and I went into his room for our talk.  
  
"Where did you really go?" He asked right of the bat.  
  
"A friend's." I answered wondering if Julian and Damon could really be considered friends.  
  
"Madelyn."  
  
"Joan and I went to a friend's place. He lives upstairs from a pub." I realized my mistake immediately.  
  
"He?"  
  
Oh no.  
  
My dad took a breath, "Who is this guy? Why haven't I met him?"  
  
I stuttered for an answer just as the doorbell rang. Saved by the bell.  
  
"I'll get it!" I cried bounding out of dad's room and to the door. I opened it to find Julian dressed in an uniform identical to my dad's, wearing Damon's sunglasses. On the gold name plate below his left shoulder read the name: J. Shadowmin. Oh no...  
  
Dad came up behind me, "You the officer work sent?" he asked Julian.  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
"Come in then." Dad stepped aside and let Julian inside the house. Then he escorted Julian into the living room to meet my grandparents. I followed at a distance.  
  
"This is my mother Irene." Dad introduced and grandma nodded, "That's my father William."  
  
Julian nodded to my grandfather, "A pleasure you meet you both." I groaned from the doorway.  
  
Dad turned and introduced me, "This is my daughter Madelyn, whom you will especially watch over."  
  
Julian saluted and I groaned again.  
  
Dad turned back to my grandparents, "Mom, Dad this is Officer.." he paused to look at the nameplate, "Shadowmin. He's going to stay the night to make sure everyone's safe."  
  
"Call me Julian."  
  
"It's nice to meet you, Julian." Grandma replied and rose out of her seat, "I'll go get you a pillow and blanket for the couch."  
  
"No need, I'll get them" I exclaimed needing to get away from the sight of Julian and my family.  
  
"I better go with you. Get to know my way around the house." Julian said and followed me out.  
  
"Officer Shadowmin? What are you doing? I thought you were going to be invisible and stay around the place." I hissed once we were out of earshot.  
  
"I thought it would be a better idea to have Damon plant the memory of your father calling work for a guard." Julian shrugged, "This way no one will be alarmed if, say, someone does try to kill you again and I'm seen."  
  
"Did you bring your pets?" I asked wearily, hoping they were still at the pub.  
  
His smile told me otherwise, "The Creeper is in your room. The Lurker is outside with Damon. I thought Smiley could use the help."  
  
I caught that Julie.  
  
I walked away to the linen closet and retrieved the pillow and blanket for Julian.  
  
"Here" I said tossing him the items that he caught neatly, "I'm going to sleep."  
  
As I walked to my room, I heard Julian say softly "Dream dreams of Vanaheim."  
  
At my room, I shut the door behind me and flung myself onto my bed. In the gloomy near darkness of my room, I heard the Creeper move and hiss. The next thing I knew the glowing snake had crawled up in bed with me and was beginning to loop itself around where I slept.  
  
"I am not Julian, get off the bed." I hissed to it.  
  
The snake looked at me and then its forked tongue caressed my cheek. It then laid its head down on the bed. Yuck snake kisses!  
  
"Jormungand, go sleep somewhere else."  
  
I received another kiss and so I resigned myself to sleeping with a living night-light. About ten o'clock, an hour later, the Creeper's glow went away and I could finally sleep in some peace.  
  
I dreamed my dreams once more but with a subtle difference. The shadows were now passing rain clouds and instead of the Shadow dwellers, there was only the voice.  
  
The runes are sacred and very powerful tools, Madelyn. All that you need is to say their names and the power of them can be yours. Do you know their names?  
  
"I think I do."  
  
Name them.  
  
"Thurisaz the thorn."  
  
What can it do?  
  
"It holds the power of shape changing"  
  
Good. Next..  
  
"Othila means inheritance or of anything of value passed down. Kenaz can call up a torch. And Hagalaz can call down hail."  
  
Very good!  
  
"Then there is Isa which brings ice. And Jera calls a spear. Pertho is symbolic of the powers of the earth. Algiz gives protective power which can avert or banish evil."  
  
Excellent Madelyn, continue.  
  
At this time I was getting excited, all this knowledge was just coming to me. I knew this. I knew how it worked, I could feel the power of the runes.  
  
"Laguz is water and.." this is where my knowledge ended. "I don't know anymore."  
  
A chuckle came. Sowulo the sun and destroyer of ice is what you were looking for.  
  
I sighed in defeat, "I lost."  
  
No, you learned. This was no game, it was a lesson. You learned what you needed to know, nothing more or less.  
  
"Are you disappointed?" I asked meekly as the dream began to fade.  
  
No, I am proud of you. So very proud. Farewell Madelyn.  
  
"Farewell teacher." I replied just before I awoke.  
  
It was still dark but I knew something was wrong. Outside Damon cawed madly while pecking at the window. Inside my room, the floorboard next to my bed creaked.  
  
I sat up in bed just in time to miss the blade aimed at my throat.  
  
It was then the Creeper awoke and its glow illuminated a strange woman. He reared up with an angry hiss which caused the woman to see her doom. She let out a short scream before being eaten alive by the massive snake. After that the Creeper looked at me and seemed about to kiss me a third time.  
  
"You are not kissing me after eating that woman." I said just as Julian rushed in.  
  
"Are you all right? I heard my pet." then Julian saw the twitching bulge in the snakes belly, "I see he took care of things."  
  
"Your snake slept while she" I motioned to the bulge, "Tried to kill me. By sheer luck, I sat up as she attempted to drive a knife in me."  
  
Damon in human form tapped on my window.  
  
I got up and opened the window, "What?"  
  
"If you would have invited me inside I could have stopped the woman before she reached your room."  
  
Julian shot him a dirty look, "And who let her reach Madelyn by not watching the house?"  
  
Damon gave him a brief devilish smile, "I was watching the place, she teleported inside."  
  
I sighed as I observed another argument in the making. "Before you start fighting, gentlemen, would anyone like to interrogate my would-be assassin before the snake digests her?"  
  
Julian and Damon exchanged vicious grins. I had a feeling the woman was going to find out those two put the word terror in interrogate.  
  
After the Creeper expelled the woman, Julian had her tied to a chair quicker than the eye could blink. Once that was done, Damon and him set to work.  
  
"Hi. You do know what we are, don't you?" Julian asked with a evil grin. She glanced at Damon, who flashed his teeth in a semblance of a smile from outside.  
  
"Monsters" the woman hissed. "Our gods will smite you for your interference."  
  
Damon looked at Julian, "I'm offended, Jules. She called us monsters."  
  
Crack.  
  
The woman shrieked as her hand crumbled in on itself.  
  
"Who sent you?" Julian asked politely and added, "As if we don't know."  
  
"I'll never tell." She cried.  
  
"Last chance before your other hand goes: Did a certain coven send you?"  
  
She spit on Julian and her entire arm crumpled.  
  
"Nice going, slick." I muttered as the woman wailed and Julian wiped his face. Then I said a little louder so to be able to be heard, "She's gonna wake the entire house up."  
  
Damon smiled, "I had them go to their windows and hypnotized them. They won't wake up until I say."  
  
I glared at him and he just smiled, "Get in here."  
  
He crawled inside and waved at the now calm woman.  
  
"Care to answer now?" Julian asked the woman as Damon leaned over her and examined her jugular.  
  
She nodded wide eyed after Damon nipped her, drawing blood. "It was the Asgard circle. The Crone and Mother demanded her blood after we killed the once Maiden of the circle."  
  
"So you killed my mother?!" I cried outraged.  
  
Her gaze shifted to me, "The Mother cut her throat, the Crone took her voice. They were the ones who killed her. I was just there."  
  
The Lurker jumped inside then and growled menacing at the woman.  
  
"Fine, next question: Do they know of us `monsters'" Julian demanded.  
  
"I wasn't told a jinn and a vampire were protecting the Maiden's child. So I don't think anyone knew. Why are you guarding her?"  
  
"Our business." Damon replied cryptically.  
  
The woman sneered, "She's sleeping with you both."  
  
Her other arm was crushed and she let out a scream, "She's your whore." She gasped.  
  
Her lips vanished, muffling any other harsh words aimed at me.  
  
"Thank you" Damon said, "I was finding her voice annoying as well."  
  
I sighed, "She can't answer anymore questions if she can't talk."  
  
Julian shrugged, "Creeper." Without further prompting the giant snake once more ate the woman and the chair in one gulp.  
  
I was about to sigh again but yawned instead. "Listen Damon, why don't you go de- hypnotize my family and go away. Same goes for you, Shadowmin."  
  
"I'm hurt." Damon replied with a smirk as he slipped away toward my family's room.  
  
"If I find bite marks on them you're going to find a stake in your heart!" I called after him. Damon's mocking laughter was his only reply.  
  
"So what now?" Julian asked casually as he pet the Lurker and I crawled into bed.  
  
"You, Damon and your pets leave then I go to sleep."  
  
"And tomorrow?"  
  
I laid down in my bed, "I go to school and you two get on with your lives."  
  
"What?" he asked stunned.  
  
I sat up in bed, "Julian,. I'm sixteen for Christ's sake, I shouldn't be involved with covens and vampires and all that."  
  
I sighed and continued, "I should be thinking of schoolwork and possible college plans and what to wear tomorrow, not making survival plans with a Shadow man and worrying if Damon is going to eat my family." I paused, "What's taking him so long anyway?"  
  
Julian smirked and closed his eyes, "He's behaving. He just finished releasing your father from his induced slumber." He opened his eyes and I felt like someone punched me in the stomach.  
  
Why does he have to have those gorgeous eyes?  
  
"Madelyn, you have to face facts. You hold in your mind ultimate knowledge, people want that and will kill to have that knowledge. " Julian said, "You also have to realize I have a debt to you that needs repaid. A life for a life."  
  
I fell back in my bed, "You and Damon already saved me. Your debt, has already been repaid."  
  
Julian tisked and said as Damon came back in, "I'll chose how I repay my debt to you, Madelyn. Not you."  
  
"Is that all I am to you? A debt?"  
  
Damon transformed and flew out of my window as Julian smiled.  
  
"You don't get it, do you?" he asked.  
  
Before I could answer, he vanished with the Creeper and Lurker right before my eyes. 


	10. Kidnapped

Monday began as always. Grandpa ate a breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon and toast. Grandma woke me up at precisely twenty till seven. Dad was drinking coffee as I wolfed down a bowl of Chocolate Puffs and raced to get prepared for school. I brushed my hair and teeth, put on a pair of jeans and a top then raced outside to await the bus under the watchful gaze of my family.  
  
Not once did my family mention Officer Shadowmin or his strange disappearance during the night.  
  
The bus came and picked me up. After I took my assigned seat in the back, went towards its next stop.  
  
The mindless chatter of fellow students filled the vehicle as it drove. Subjects ranging from the cutest guy in school to who got who pregnant were discussed around me. No one ever looked my way and this, too, was normal.  
  
First period was Spanish and I flunked the daily quiz. Normal. Next period was SAT prep and I was bored. Very normal.  
  
Then there was lunch, also known as forty-five minutes of doing absolutely nothing except eating ice-cream.  
  
Only something wasn't normal. Joan wasn't there, the cashier was new, and all ten of the customers were dressed in black.  
  
Uh oh, I thought casually glancing at the crowd. I'm in trouble.  
  
For five minutes as I calmly ate my ice-cream cone, I wracked my brain for some solution to this problem. Of course the solution was simple.  
  
Julian or Damon, if any of you can hear me give me a sign, I thought as hard as I could.  
  
I thought you wanted to get on with your life? came a familiar amused voice.  
  
Damon!  
  
You have excellent hearing, you know that, I remarked.  
  
Comes from being a vampire, what do you want.  
  
I smothered a groan. Help would be nice.  
  
You want my help, he said obviously plotting something. What is in it for me?  
  
I finished my cone and snapped, Nothing. I'll handle this myself.  
  
He replied just as I reached the door and felt a restraining hand on my arm, Ri--ght.  
  
I turned and was suddenly staring at the business end of a gun held by one of the male customers.  
  
"In the name of our gods, you will come with us." he then added, "Or else die right here."  
  
I gulped as everyone stood up and began filing out the door. I calmly went after everyone, closely monitored by the gunman and followed the other nine people to a black van.  
  
"Get inside." the gunman ordered me as another opened the back door.  
  
I hopped inside and cowered on the floor as the door slammed shut behind me.  
  
Tears of fear threatened to spill from my eyes as the van sped off and coven members began celebrating their successful kidnapping.  
  
The Crone was going to be happy, they said, the Mother would be overjoyed. I tried to keep my mind off of everything around me and my eventual death that was beginning to be discussed but...  
  
"How did the Mother say the sacrifice was going to be made?"  
  
"The girl was going to be bled from her wrists and throat. Her life will be caught in the ceremonial chalice and the Crone and Mother will drink from her life, gaining the knowledge."  
  
"The knowledge!" everyone whispered in awe.  
  
"Damon, I'm going to kill you." I muttered right before being belted across the face with enough force to throw me across the van.  
  
"Shut your mouth." my attacker shouted, "We will not allow you to summon your demonic protectors, thief."  
  
"Thief?" I croaked barely lifting my head, sending jolts of pain across my jaw.  
  
"You stole the knowledge our Mother and Crone rightfully beseeched." another person, from the sound of it a girl my age, answered.  
  
Arguing the point that it was an accident seemed pointless. Instead, I took a nap hoping against hopes the runes of my dreams would be of help. Only, the shadows were back whispering about me.  
  
"She has so much potential." they hissed.  
  
"Potentials for a plaything." one cackled.  
  
"Yes, but she *knows*. She has the possibility of summoning."  
  
"She can enslave us!"  
  
"We wouldn't escape like we did the old man."  
  
"Trapped." they hissed. "Never!"  
  
"Then she must die." one exclaimed sinisterly.  
  
"Death to Olslin!" all of the shadows cried. It began echoing as the dream changed on its own accord.  
  
I was now safely in my room with a girl slightly older than me. Her hair was extremely curly and red. I couldn't make out her eyes but it didn't matter. They were friendly, if not a bit disappointed.  
  
"Rats. You're not who I'm looking for." She pouted.  
  
"Who are you looking for? Maybe I can help." I replied.  
  
She frowned, "I don't think you can help. I'm not looking for someone dead."  
  
"I'm not dead." I paused, "Well not yet. Who might you be looking for."  
  
The girl brightened instantly, "He's kinda cute in a dark way, a vampire, Italian, has a thing for expensive cars."  
  
"Would you be looking for Damon Salvatore?" I said wryly.  
  
"Yeah!" she exclaimed. "You met him? I'm Bonnie by the way. Where is he?"  
  
"Damon is in California. He just got me kidnapped and soon to be killed."  
  
Bonnie frowned and bit her lip, "That sounds little like him."  
  
"Don't worry, I'll figure some way to get out of this mess. That's why I'm kinda-- drifting around."  
  
A moment of silence passed between us.  
  
"Guess I should let you drift." Bonnie said breaking the silence.  
  
I shrugged, "Guess so."  
  
"I'm going to email Shadow_reborn and tell him thanks for the help."  
  
Shadow_reborn?! Don't tell me...  
  
"Bonnie, do you know this person's name? I have a feeling I might know this person too." I demanded suddenly full of hope.  
  
"I think he said his name was Julian or something."  
  
Yes! Talk about luck!! "Bonnie, email Julian and tell him 'his little fly is caught in another spider's web.'"  
  
Bonnie frowned, "Okay. Bye then."  
  
She slowly faded from my room until I was left alone and then I awoke.  
  
I judged I was asleep for about an hour. The van was still moving as the Asgard circle was still happily plotting my death.  
  
"So when is the ceremony going to take place." A girl asked her coven.  
  
The driver responded, "In two days. The Crone said the heavens will be in the exact alignment they were the night the Mother, Maiden and her had the ceremony before."  
  
"Two more days to live.' I murmured and the air was knocked from my lungs by a kick in the stomach.  
  
"Shut your mouth, thief." The attacker screamed. I had an idea.  
  
"What are you going to get from killing me, huh?" I croaked.  
  
I received another blow to the stomach as the person replied, "We get the glory of doing our gods work."  
  
"Sounds like you're getting the bad end of the deal." I said, "The hag and mommy get *Ultimate Knowledge* while you get jack."  
  
A series of kicks followed as the person screamed, "How dare you insult our Crone and Mother?"  
  
"Ease up man" someone else said pulling my attacker off me, "You're going to knock her out."  
  
"Too late" I groaned right before I drifted into unconsciousness.  
  
So tell me, how am I doing so far? 


	11. Drifting

Drifting  
  
As soon as I passed out, I found myself at the town library. Sitting at one of the computers was Julian, madly typing away. I floated over to him and to see what he was doing.  
  
On the screen was a private chat between Shadow_reborn and Little_red_ druid.  
  
"Discover anything with my little spell?" Julian asked.  
  
Moments later came the reply. "Yes actually."  
  
"When shall I expect your arrival, Bonnie?"  
  
"Not for awhile. Have college to attend. Maybe during summer break."  
  
Julian smiled, "Okay. I'll keep Mr. Fang around til then."  
  
"I have a message for you." Bonnie wrote a second later.  
  
"I'm intrigued. What did dead people have to say about me."  
  
"Didn't speak with dead person. Alive as of then. Message is: your little fly is caught in another spider's web."  
  
Julian mouthed my message to him and I prayed he would remember our first meeting.  
  
"Did the person who told you this have real dark red hair and hazel eyes? Very urgent." he typed quickly mouthing a prayer. "Say no, say no Bonnie" Julian said aloud.  
  
"Yes."  
  
I cheered as Julian let out a string of ancient curses as another message from Bonnie popped up.  
  
"Said Damon didn't wish to help her as well."  
  
"You might get to meet Madelyn in person during visit but for now I have to go kill Mr. Fang. ttfn." he typed in then logged out and vanished.  
  
I suddenly found myself at a very nice mansion full of beautiful antiques. A crystal chandelier hung in the living room sending rainbows everywhere. Lounging the black velvet couch in the room was Damon and then Julian popped in.  
  
Julian grabbed him around the throat and lifted him effortlessly with one hand straight up, "Why didn't you go help Madelyn?" Julian growled.  
  
Damon replied casually as if his feet weren't dangling a foot off the floor, "Hello Jules. I take it you found out about our little Madelyn's kidnapping."  
  
Julian's glare became deadlier, "Who's?"  
  
Damon snickered, "Are you going to kill me or do you want to save Madelyn?"  
  
Julian thought for a moment and Damon continued, "There are many of them and only one of you. Who do you think has better odds, Jules?"  
  
Julian dropped the vampire, "Talk and don't call me Jules."  
  
Damon flashed him a smile from the floor, "Okay, Julie." Before Julian could react, Damon danced away and resumed his lounging on the couch.  
  
"You need help and I'm willing to assist one of the guys I share drinks with." he told Julian, "I'm sure Rob would love to help you as well. Then there's Tom and Jenny."  
  
Damon smiled, "They still owe you for the heroic sacrifice you made."  
  
Julian rolled his eyes, "Whatever. Where's the phone?"  
  
The vampire reached behind him and produced a cell phone, which he tossed to Julian.  
  
"Keep it short. My rates go up in an hour."  
  
The shadow man made as face as he dialed Rob's number. For some weird reason, I could hear both ends of the conversation.  
  
"Hello Zetes Institute, Rob speaking."  
  
Julian smiled, "Just the psychic I need. Get to our pub with your friends pronto."  
  
"Why what's up?"  
  
"It's Madelyn."  
  
"We're there."  
  
Julian hung the phone up and tossed it back to Damon, "Where was Madelyn when she called for you?"  
  
"An ice cream shop from the feel of the place." he replied dialing another number.  
  
"Who are you calling."  
  
"Joan." Damon said before turning his attention to the phone. "Hi Joan."  
  
"Hey Damon, what do I owe the honor of you calling my cell phone during school hours."  
  
"A question." Damon purred, "Where do you eat for lunch at school? I might meet you."  
  
"Lunch is over but I usually go to a ice-cream shop around the school and meet with Madelyn." Joan replied.  
  
"Did you go today?"  
  
"Nope, it had some weirdoes in black there."  
  
Damon put his hand over the phone, "Joan and Maddy eat lunch at a creamery. Joan spotted some people in black and didn't go inside."  
  
Julian shook his head, "Chances are Madelyn was abducted by them."  
  
Damon nodded and continued talking with Joan, "Can you cut class? Madelyn got kidnapped by those weirdoes."  
  
"You bet. Meet you at the pub?"  
  
"Right and.. expect some familiar company." He hung up and dialed yet another number.  
  
"Calling Tom and Jenny now?" Julian inquired.  
  
Damon nodded just as someone picked up.  
  
"Hello, Lovebirds nest." a girl said sweetly.  
  
"Summer!" Jenny shouted as some other people laughed in the background.  
  
"May I speak to Ms. Thorton." Damon asked politely. Julian snickered at his tone.  
  
"Okay here." Summer replied and passed the phone to Jenny.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Jenny, is all of your friends from Julie's games there?" Damon asked all business.  
  
"Yes they are. Why?" Jenny asked curiously.  
  
"Does your phone has a speaker feature?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Put me on." Damon put the phone down, pushed a button and switched his cell on speaker.  
  
"Okay, everyone can hear." Jenny said a moment later.  
  
Damon turned to Julian, "Say hi."  
  
"Hello everyone." Julian said.  
  
"Oh my God." a guy exclaimed.  
  
"Micheal, calm down." Tom ordered his friend.  
  
"Tom, that's Julian." Micheal cried. "Julian's on the phone."  
  
"Well that's apparent. Jenny who is the other guy?" a calm female voice asked.  
  
"Audrey, meet Damon. Damon, my friends." Jenny introduced.  
  
"How the heck did he come back?" another male voice demanded.  
  
"Don't sound so upset, Zach." Julian responded wryly.  
  
"What do you think we'd be talking to a guy we saw fade away." a third female told him.  
  
"Dee." Jenny hissed.  
  
Julian shrugged, "I'll give you that. I need your help."  
  
"What for." Tom asked suspiciously.  
  
"Madelyn is in trouble. Her mom's friends kidnapped her."  
  
"Who's Madelyn." Summer asked quietly obviously seeing serious looks on Tom and Jenny's faces.  
  
"I'll send Damon over to show you where everyone is meeting to plan Madelyn's rescue." Julian told.  
  
"Okay, we'll be waiting." Jenny replied.  
  
"Who's Made--" Summer cried before Damon hung up the phone.  
  
The two deadliest men I ever knew faced each other.  
  
"So--?" Damon asked.  
  
"Go show Jenny and her friends to the pub. I need to go somewhere real quick." Julian ordered and teleported back to the library.  
  
He quickly signed back onto the Internet and got into a private chat with Bonnie once again.  
  
"Need your help once more, my little Druid." He wrote.  
  
"What now, Shadow man."  
  
Julian snickered, "Just call it back up."  
  
I didn't get to see the rest of the conversation because everything began fading away.  
  
The room I was suddenly in was cast in yellow flickering fire light from dozens of huge torches. The floor was dirt and brown. In front of me was a huge wood table crudely built with a feast of meats and vegatables cooked in their juices. To drink were gold goblets of mead. At the head of the table was a Viking with stringy red hair and a dirty red beard.  
  
"So we finally meet Madelyn Olslin. I am Thor." he said in a familiar booming voice.  
  
"Hey, you gave me the medallion! No wonder Julian said it was ok." I exclaimed.  
  
Thor chuckled, "He recongized my mark. What brings you to my home?"  
  
Uh-h. "I don't really know. I'm kinda drifting around."  
  
"Perhaps young Julian asked for my help." Thor winked, "I help humans like yourself."  
  
Whoever said Thor was a dumb god.."Can you help me from getting sacrificed in two days?" I asked earnestly.  
  
"Yes, but I believe Julian is doing just that. Why should I make him feel his efforts weren't needed?"  
  
I sighed, "Okay."  
  
Thor held up a glass, "Would you like some food and drink? The mead is good."  
  
"Um, no thanks." I said nervously, "I don't drink alcohol."  
  
He shrugged, "Suit yourself." then he took a gulp of the drink and grabbed a huge turkey leg.  
  
I stood listening to his noisey chomping and slurping for a few moments and then asked, "Do you know how I can go back to drifting?"  
  
"How should I know. I don't even know how you got here."  
  
Thanks, I thought sarcasticly and began pacing. I wonder if this drifting works like my dreams?  
  
For a moment I stopped pacing, closed my eyes and thought of Julian. His incredible eyes, his handsome features- ok absolutely hot features. I thought of everything I could think of about Julian, hoping against all hope that I might be able to go to him and the gathered rescuers.  
  
"Okay so there are around a hundred of them and forteen of us." Micheal said all of a sudden.  
  
I opened my eyes and found myself in the pub.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED... 


	12. Plans

Plans  
  
I opened my eyes and found myself in the pub. Yes!  
  
"I like those odds." Dee said cracking her knuckles. Damon rolled his eyes.  
  
"Bad odds." said a unfamiliar male with dark hair and eyes. I think he wore glasses but the lights in the pub were dim enough I couldn't tell.  
  
"I agree with Lewis. Those are bad odds." Kaitlyn said.  
  
"You forget we have two immortals around." Joan told her, "With Damon and Julian around, we have the better odds."  
  
"Joan, these are witches. They can hurt me." Julian responded and motioned to Damon, "And Salvatore? You shove a good piece of wood in the right place and he's dust."  
  
"Very inspirational, Julie." I muttered shaking my head in disgust.  
  
Julian's head jerked to where I stood, "Did anyone hear something?"  
  
Jenny frown and exchanged looks with her friends.  
  
"Jules, your losing it." Damon replied. But I had a hunch.  
  
"Julian, say I'm a leprechaun if you can hear me." I said trying not to be too wistful  
  
"Don't call me Jules."  
  
"No arguing, think of Madelyn." Rob exclaimed jumping between the two in case there was a fight. Julian relaxed and Damon smirked in response.  
  
"We have to face one hundred witches? No way are we going to get out of this with this Madelyn girl." Summer cried.  
  
"So we have distraction, a few sneak in and sneak out with Maddy. Then we hide her." Julian told her and smiled, "Simple."  
  
"Not simple." Gabriel corrected, "What if were discovered? What then?"  
  
"Simple, fight them." Audrey replied. Micheal nodded in agreement.  
  
Gabriel rolled his eyes and seemed to say something telepathically to his friends.  
  
"So who is going to go inside?" Tom inquired.  
  
"Rob, Joan, Jenny and her group, except Dee, are the distraction team." Julian told everyone. "Kaitlyn and Damon, you'll be surveillance. Kaitlyn will be on the ground hidden, Damon you'll be in the air."  
  
"Me, Anna, Gabriel, Lewis and Dee will sneak inside and retrieve Madelyn." Julian said, "Rob, Kait, Damon, and Gabriel you inform each other of any and everything you see."  
  
"Gotcha" said Rob  
  
"Right" Kaitlyn replied.  
  
Damon yawned.  
  
"Whatever. So, where is Madelyn?" Gabriel asked.  
  
Julian's shoulders slumped, "I don't know."  
  
Jenny patted him on the back, "Don't worry, we'll find her."  
  
Something seemed to strike Kaitlyn. She was excited and demanded a pencil and paper. Julian waved his hand distracted with other things and a pencil and paper appeared.  
  
She closed her eyes and visibly relaxed then her hand began racing over the page.  
  
"What's going on?" Summer hissed.  
  
"Kaitlyn is a psychic. She unconsciously draws the future." Gabriel replied.  
  
After a few moments a picture began to form. A very familiar picture, something seen only in nightmares. Pure ice and darkness incarnate. A being that never feels love, true happiness or sees light.  
  
A Shadow man.  
  
"What is that thing!" Joan exclaimed pointing at the warped monstrosity on the paper.  
  
"A shadow man." Jenny murmured.  
  
Everyone was silent until Kaitlyn broke the silence.  
  
"Whatever it is, we're going to be meeting it-- and soon."  
  
I shuddered. So an elder shadow man is in the future, great. What else can go wrong?  
  
I awoke.  
  
My hands were bound behind me and my feet were tied tightly to a hard metal chair I sat in. The room was dark meaning night had fallen and I had less time to live.  
  
My head was aching and my lip was swollen. My ribs felt like they were broken, I couldn't feel my feet and worst of all I had to go to the bathroom!!  
  
The door suddenly opened and the light behind it struck me right in the face.  
  
"Goddess, what a mess you are." said a kind femanin voice just as the lights inside were turned on.  
  
I flinched and squeezed my eyes shut as they approached.  
  
I heard a plate sat down beside me and then gentle hands explore my face.  
  
"The Crone and Mother told them to be gentle with you but did they listen? No." she muttered as I gingerly opened my eyes.  
  
The girl looked to be my age. Her hair was long and curlly blond and her eyes a kind sea green. I instantly knew she was the new Maiden of the coven. There was something about her that gave it away. Or simply more of Odin's knowledge was leaking through to me.  
  
"So what's the verdict, Doctor?" I croaked after she finished examining me.  
  
She laughed, "I'm not a doctor, I'm the Asgard Maiden."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Well, you have a black eye, a swollen lip, probably a concusion, a few cuts and probably a entire torso full of bruises."  
  
"Feels like it. Where am I?" I asked.  
  
"Home." she said vaguely as she examined my bonds and tisked, "Too tight. I'll have to have a word with those people."  
  
"Is it possible to go to the bathroom?"  
  
She laughed and I was beginning to think her laugh was worse than the shaow men's, "I'm afraid not."  
  
"Great." I muttered and she patted my head.  
  
"Don't worry" The Maiden told me brightly, "Tommorrow we'll cleanse you and perfume you. It wouldn't do for Odin's offering to be defile."  
  
She danced around the room as she told me more, "Then the knowledge will be freed and the world will finally be at peace. Oh how I wish to be in your place. To be Odin's is a great honor."  
  
"Then why don't you be the one to be sacrificed." I snapped.  
  
She giggled, "Silly, I am not the keeper of the knowledge. Farewell." and with that she danced out of the room, careful to shut off the lights behind her.  
  
If I thought things couldn't get any worse, they did. I began to hear whispering. An all too familiar nasty hissing of my name.  
  
A shadow man dressed as the Grim Reaper from my dream, probably the same one, appeared before me.  
  
"Everyone is in an uproar." it hissed almost happily. "The Others, Julian, your family. Oh by the way, you'll want to see this." With a wave of its hand a picture formed before me.  
  
It was the pub again and from all appearances they had gotten a plan together for when they would find my location. Jenny and Rob were discussing possible distraction for different scenarioes like a stalled car for a house hide-out or a lost hiker for the woods. Damon was flirting with Kaitlyn to Gabriel's disgust. Julian was being poured a good strong drink when all of a sudden, my father stormed in.  
  
"Where is my daughter?" Dad growled.  
  
"If we knew we wouldn't be here to ask."Damon replied casually.  
  
Julian gulped down his drink and winced, "Anyone want a drink? I hate drinking alone."  
  
Dad rounded on Julian, "How can you sit there and drink when my baby is in danger."  
  
"Easy. I sit here, put the glass to my mouth and pour the drink down my throat."  
  
Dad pulled his fist back and swung but Julian caught his fist before it could connect and threw dad back one-handed.  
  
I heard dad begin to sob on the floor, "You promised to guard her."  
  
Damon looked mildly surprised as did Julian.  
  
"You remeber me being at your house?" Julian asked as he faced dad.  
  
"Of course I do. I even remember him attempting to hypnotize me." Dad said pointing at Damon.  
  
The vision ended there and I objected.  
  
"The shadow man chuckled, "You wish to see more, we play a game."  
  
I sighed, "What game now?"  
  
He pulled out some cards from his sleeve and I couldn't believe my eyes.  
  
"I have found an entertaining new game. Do you know of Pokemon?"  
  
I nodded not trusting myself to not burst out laughing at such a dangerous creature.  
  
"Good. We are to play another game, I haven't quite mastered the pocket monsters." he said and snapped his fingers. My bonds immediately dropped off of me and I stood and stretched as he continued, "The game we will play I call Knowledge, a game of questions and battle. I ask a riddle, you answer it. If you can't answer it, the answer will attack you. If you can, you ask me a riddle. This will go on for one hour. Whoever answers the most questions, wins."  
  
"What are the prizes?" I asked cauiously.  
  
"If I win, you are mine to play with. If you win... I will do one favor." he answered, "Are we to play?"  
  
"Either way I'll get to see what's going on with Julian and the others?"  
  
He nodded.  
  
"Let's play." 


	13. Riddle me this

Special thanks goes to Riddles.com. Without you, this chapter would only have two riddles.  
  
"You are braver than most, Madelyn." it croaked sending shivered up and down my spine. "Though I do admire you, I will not be easy. First riddle: Feed me and I live, give me water and I die. What am I?"  
  
Thank God that I know this, "You are fire. My turn: if a plane crashed on the boarder of NE and KS where do they bury the survivors?" Man that was lame.  
  
"Nowhere, you don't bury survivors, unless you're like me. Are you like me Madelyn?"  
  
How I wished he would stop calling me by name, "What's the riddle." I said through gritted teeth.  
  
"What gets wetter, the more it dries?"  
  
I thought for a moment and squeezed my eyes shut, "I don't know."  
  
I opened my eyes just in time to receive a wet towel across the face.  
  
"Your turn." the Shadow man said gleefully as I rubbed my sore cheek.  
  
"A man walks into a bar and asks the man behind the bar for a glass of water and gets shot to death why?"  
  
The shadow man chuckled, "I have no idea."  
  
You got to be kidding me, "The man behind the bar was a robber and he didn't want the guy to see his face."  
  
Suddenly a masked man ran between us and shot the shadow man ten times then ran off to vanish in thin air.  
  
"That was fun." it chuckled, "Two hundred people died in a cabin on the side of a mountain. how did this happen?"  
  
I thought this one over carefully. It had to be a play on words and if I didn't answer correctly I might die. Suddenly in a bolt of inspiration, it hit me. "It was a plane cabin and the plane crashed on the side of a mountain."  
  
It nodded, "Very good."  
  
I smiled, "Thanks." then I remembered what this thing was, "A man and woman are driving along in their car. The man stops driving, gets out of the car and locks all the doors with the woman still inside. When he returns the woman is dead and there is a stranger in the car. The doors were not unlocked at anytime and the car was not broken into. What happened?"  
  
I could tell it was smiling, "Too easy, Madelyn. I came."  
  
It was my turn to smile, "Wrong. The woman had a baby and it killed her while the man phone an ambulance."  
  
On a strange turn of events, the shadow man began to scream as his stomach began to bulge and got bigger and bigger until BOOM. Out exploded a baby which vanished immediately upon arrival and the Shadow man was revealed.  
  
He looked to be a very old man with bone thin gray skin drawn tightly over his hunched back. When he looked up and hissed, I was startled to realize his jaw hung loose giving his face a mouth six inches more to open. He--I could clearly see now it was a he-- grinned, bearing five inch black fangs. It was the familiar picture I saw Kaitlyn draw not an hour before.  
  
"How do I look?" he asked impossibly clear.  
  
I shrugged attempting to not be so fearful of the shadow man, "Um pretty good for your age."  
  
He smiled, "Thank you. Riddle Around The Riddle, Riddle Around The Rock, Rock Around The Riddle. How many R's are in that?"  
  
I frown utterly confused as to what he was saying, "There isn't any R's in the word that."  
  
He scowled and I knew he was hoping to trick me, "Your turn now."  
  
I thought for a moment and found just the one for the guy, "A woman realizes she can make 1 whole cigarette from seven cigarette butts. She finds 49 Cigarette butts. How many whole cigarettes can the woman make?"  
  
"She can make eight cigarettes. Are you trying to repay me for saving you all those years ago? "  
  
"What do you mean?" I demanded.  
  
"We shadow men arranged for your father to discover your location where the Asgard coven were going to sacrifice you when you were a baby. You owe us your life."  
  
He lies, a voice whispered.  
  
"You lie!" I cried.  
  
"No-o, we shadow men never lie." he replied, "You are in a room with a fireplace, a lantern, a furnace (to keep warm), and a match. It's really dark outside and you cannot turn on any electricity because there is a bad storm. What do you light first?"  
  
"Who cares." I screamed angrily before I could stop myself, "You shadow men lie all the time. You say to mortals you'll give them riches and fame. Then you kill them in an accident and their family's million dollar law suit gets plastered all over the news."  
  
He chuckled, "We never lie to those types. We simply-- neglect to tell them exactly *when* and *why* they receive riches and fame. You didn't answer my riddle correctly."  
  
The blood in my veins froze as he said, "Now you must face the answer."  
  
Suddenly my world ignited. My clothes, my hair, even parts of my skin lit up like a match.  
  
My screams were muffled by the roar of the flames and for a few moments, I thought I was going to die. Then the inferno abruptly ceased leaving me with slightly shorter than shoulder length red hair, clothing with soot and charred spots, face full of soot and burns on my hands and arms.  
  
"Your turn now." he purred pleased at his handy work.  
  
"I have a cousin that is my uncle. How is that possible?" I threw out from the top of my head.  
  
He frowned and thought for a while as I stood there proud that I paid attention to my grandfather's ramblings about our family. Finally after a while the shadow man gave up and my real life step cousin that married my aunt appeared and beat up the Shadow man.  
  
I was still laughing when he told me his riddle, "If it takes a man a day to dig a hole, how long does it take for him to dig half a hole."  
  
That was especially lame, "You can't. Once you begin digging it's already a hole." I told him.  
  
"Now for my riddle" I said thinking of the perfect riddle and it was true too, "I am an only child, yet I have two sisters and a brother. How is that possible?"  
  
He thought for a while and appeared to be struck by an idea, "It isn't possible."  
  
I smiled viciously as my two half brothers and three half sisters appeared to beat up the shadow man, "Wrong."  
  
The five dead babies my mother bore before me surrounded the shadow man just as the hour was up. He looked fearful for a moment and then the five vanished.  
  
"I believe you owe me a favor other than showing me what's going on with Julian." I said pleased.  
  
The shadow man grimaced, "When you have need of me, call." He suddenly lashed out and hit me across the face.  
  
As I drifted into unconsciousness I heard him say, "I never said *how* you would see Julian. Happy drifting."  
  
I was in the pub again. Everything was almost exactly like it was when I left, except my father was nursing a beer surrounded by everyone.  
  
"Madelyn was Caroline and my little miracle. We had five babies before her, the first two Caroline ended up miscarrying, the last three were all stillborn." Dad was saying to everyone. "Madelyn was so beautiful. Curly red hair and the bluest eyes I ever saw. Our little miracle."  
  
"That she is." Julian said from the shadows.  
  
"You can imagine how scared I was when Caroline kidnapped her." Dad continued, "I called the police immediately and then I received the strangest call."  
  
"Go up around Yosemite National Park, that's where Madelyn was." he told everyone.  
  
"You think they might be up there again?" Joan exclaimed.  
  
"Probably." Julian replied and addressed my dad, "You remember the exact location?"  
  
"Oh yeah." dad drawled and took a swig of his beer, "I'll never forget."  
  
"Good. Jules when we going?" Damon asked.  
  
A map appeared in front of my father. "Show Damon where the coven was that night, he'll check it out."  
  
"That's over one hundred miles!" Damon exclaimed, "I can't cover that much distance."  
  
"I'll teleport you a hundred yards from the actual location." Julian replied.  
  
Damon looked over my dad's shoulder at where dad pointed then sighed, "Beam me up. "He vanished immediately.  
  
"What now?" Rob asked.  
  
Julian walked out of the shadows with half a bottle of tequila in his hands, "We wait." 


	14. Captured Shadows

I awoke back in my cell to something gently patting my face.  
  
"Madelyn. Wake up!" a familiar voice hissed. I gingerly opened my eyes to see Damon smile.  
  
"I saw you leave." I croaked.  
  
He helped me sit up, "You did? Hm."  
  
He suddenly got a good look at me and winced, "What did they do to you? Use you as a punching bag."  
  
"Kick pad actually. So I take it I'm around Yosemite."  
  
Damon nodded, "You look like crap."  
  
I smirked then winced from the pain from my busted lip, "I feel like crap. Guess what."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I'm dying tomorrow."  
  
Damon quirked his eyebrows and I continued, "Actually they call it turning over the knowledge to its rightful owners since I was the one who stole it."  
  
"These guys are nuttier than the fruitcake Julie makes." Damon winced, "Don't ever try any of his cooking. There's a reason why he eats take-out."  
  
I laughed despite the pain in my ribs, "And here I thought he just liked pizza a lot."  
  
Damon briefly smiled, "Not really."  
  
A moment of silence passed between us.  
  
"What is it like to die?" I asked quietly, "Do you just blank out or do you see and hear everything around you?"  
  
Damon was quiet and stepped back becoming one with the shadows. A moment later I watched as a crow flew out of the barred window.  
  
You won't have to find out, I heard Damon say in my mind before flying out of sight.  
  
I sighed as I walked over and curled up in a corner to slow drift off into a restless slumber. I drifted again.  
  
I was flying over the forest, leaving the darken fortress prison behind. I could see Damon the crow--or was he a raven? I couldn't really tell, they all look alike. Anyway, I could see Damon flying along side me and then he vanished only to reappear inside the pub. He fluttered down to the floor and transformed into his human-- or somewhat human self.  
  
"So?" Dad demanded as everyone jumped to their feet.  
  
"She's there." Damon replied and everyone let out a sigh of relief, only to be chilled by Damon's next words, "The coven are going to sacrifice her tomorrow."  
  
"We got to bust her out." Joan cried.  
  
"It has to be tonight." Rob said.  
  
"Forget tonight, it has to be now." Dee exclaimed over everyone's babble.  
  
Suddenly a shrill whistle silence everyone and all eyes went to Julian.  
  
"We stick to the plan. Joan, Anna, Jenny and her friends, except Dee, are going to be lost hikers. They distract as many of the coven as they can. Kaitlyn and Damon will take places surrounding the coven's place and keep dibs on everyone while Gabriel, Lewis, Dee and I sneak inside. Rob, you and Mr. Olslin stay here." Julian instructed.  
  
"But-" Dad objected but Julian cut him off.  
  
"I need you both here. Trust me." Julian then took Rob aside and gave him some last minute instructions then returned to the group. "All right, let's go."  
  
Everyone except Rob and Dad then abruptly vanished.  
  
"Mr. Olslin, we have work to do. Come on." Rob told dragging Dad away.  
  
Everyone reappeared hidden in the woods within sight of my prison.  
  
"Is everyone set?" Julian asked tossing Kaitlyn some binoculars he pulled out from thin air.  
  
"We don't look like hikers." Audrey said looking at her own chic skirt and blouse.  
  
"We need some other clothes." Jenny told him.  
  
Julian snapped his fingers and the distraction group was decked out in jeans and flannels that looked as though they seen better and cleaner days.  
  
"Now you look like lost hikers." Julian said proudly as Damon transformed into his birdie self and flew away.  
  
"Wish us luck." Summer told everyone brightly.  
  
"Were going to need it." Zach added as they trudged over to enemy territory.  
  
Kaitlyn watched them through the binoculars, "They knocked on the door." she reported, "The door's been answered and they're telling their story."  
  
Their sob story, Damon added.  
  
"Okay... they're in." Kaitlyn said.  
  
"I'll go first, then Lewis, Gabe and Dee is last." Julian told them. "Lewis, tell Anna and Kaitlyn everything you do. Even if you trip or something."  
  
Lewis saluted Julian and watched him creep off. A moment later, a blue light flickered at the door. Lewis, Gabriel and Dee marched over to the door where Julian and the Lurker waited next to an unconscious guard. Silently they dumped his body in some nearby brush and snuck inside.  
  
Jenny is telling everyone, including some girl introduced as The Maiden, how their guide died in a rock slide, Anna reported.  
  
Don't waste time do they, Gabriel replied.  
  
Guard! Julian exclaimed ahead and everyone ducked inside the nearest room, a broom closet.  
  
A moment later, Julian cracked open the door and declared it safe.  
  
Madelyn is sleeping on the east end of the first floor, Damon reported. A warning though, she looks like crap.  
  
Can you see her, Julian asked as his team and him crept down the hallway towards me.  
  
I'm sitting outside her window, he answered.  
  
Maiden left to get us drinks, Anna told.  
  
I see her, kitchen is on the west end, Kaitlyn reported.  
  
These types of conversations continued for me until something woke me up.  
  
I opened my eyes to see the door opening and saw four bodies illuminated by the light outside.  
  
I squinted up at them as they stepped inside, "Julian?"  
  
"You do look crappy." he said kneeling down beside me.  
  
"Let's get out of here." Lewis hissed just before the lights turned on and the door was slammed behind them.  
  
Momentarily blind, Julian didn't react quickly enough to prevent himself from being bound by robes with the rune Nauthiz written all over it in something red. Almost blinded, Lewis, Gabriel and Dee were all tied up.  
  
I looked around and saw Damon's crumpled form sprawled near the door with a stake protruding from his chest. I turned toward the door just in time to see a hideously old woman and a heavy set woman glide inside.  
  
The Crone and Mother, I realized right before I was gun whipped into unconsciousness and again drifted.  
  
"Well, well." The Crone croaked, "Look what we have here."  
  
"A Shadow demon, a semi-dead vampire, a human and two psychics. My, my." The Mother said, "Our Madelyn does have interesting friends."  
  
The Crone smiled revealing disgusting black teeth and gums, "It's too bad you will all die tomorrow." 


	15. Time in between life and death

"They've been captured." I heard Kaitlyn hiss as Anna, Joan, Jenny and the rest jogged up to her.  
  
"We know Gabriel told Anna." Jenny replied out of breath.  
  
"So what do we do now?" Joan asked, "I mean Julian and Damon have both been captured, we're defenseless." Anna and Kaitlyn smiled suddenly.  
  
"Let's stay put for the night, Rob and Mr. Olslin will be here by morning." Kaitlyn told everyone.  
  
"B-but what about the wildlife?" Joan squeaked. Anna and Kaitlyn exchanged looks.  
  
"Don't worry, that's my specialty." Anna told Joan encouragingly.  
  
She visibly relaxed and I fell into true slumber.  
  
It seemed like moments later someone shook me awake. I groggily opened my eyes and saw Dee's shape in front of me.  
  
How did you get loose?" I asked sitting up as Gabriel yanked the stake out of Damon's body.  
  
Damon screamed and then Dee replied, "Survival knife. Julian keeps one strapped to his ankle."  
  
"It actually belongs to Dee, she lost it on her trip to my world." Julian said still tied up, "Of course the knife doesn't help me."  
  
"Why not?" I asked puzzled.  
  
"There's a spell on the ropes along with the rune." Julian sighed, "Only the counter spell can allow anyone to remove these ropes"  
  
"Which we don't know." Lewis added.  
  
Nice, it just keeps getting better.  
  
"Uh we have a problem." Gabriel told us. "Our friend the vampire is looking a bit- pale."  
  
"That's normal." Damon retorted weakly.  
  
Julian, Dee, Lewis and I rushed to Damon's side.  
  
All I could see was Damon's black silk shirt but Julian must have seen something else in the dim light and swore.  
  
"Damon, you need blood pronto." He told the vampire.  
  
"I'm doing just fine- for a guy who just had a stake removed from his chest."  
  
I made a decision then, "Damon, bite me."  
  
Everyone turned to me with shocked expressions, the most shocked was Damon himself.  
  
"You need blood, I have an abundance." I told him and offered up my wrist, "Think of it as revenge for the Asgard weirdoes for almost killing you. They kinda need my blood to get this knowledge they think I stole."  
  
"You actually trust me to not drain you dry?" Damon asked.  
  
I shrugged, "Die now or die later, it doesn't matter to me. I don't really have anything to look forward to."  
  
"How about if we survive until tomorrow, I take you out to dinner and a movie?" Julian told me.  
  
I swung my head towards him, "Are you asking me out? As in on a date?"  
  
I could have sworn Julian blushed, "Well, it's-- something to-- look forward to."  
  
After a moments hesitation I said, "Okay Jules, you got a date."  
  
"Don't call me Jules." he told me chuckling.  
  
I turned my attention to Damon, "Okay Damon, chow down."  
  
Damon smirked right before he took my wrist and bit me.  
  
"Ow, ouch, ow." I muttered as he began drinking my blood, "I thought getting bit by a vampire was supposed to feel good."  
  
I'm not feasting in the right place for that, Damon told me and released my wrist. I watched in fascination as the two bite marks quickly healed into what appeared to be a hickey.  
  
"Cool. What now?" I asked.  
  
"I can get the door open. PK and everything." Lewis replied with a shrug.  
  
"True but again that won't do *me* much good." Julian told him, "The door has Nauthiz carved on it. I'm trapped."  
  
"So we'll leave you." Damon responded with a brief smile, "We're not trapped by the rune."  
  
Everyone shot him a dirty look.  
  
"What kind of friend are you?" Dee demanded.  
  
Damon smirked as Julian replied, "We're not friends, we're drinking partners. There's a difference."  
  
When everyone frowned, he explained, "Damon, Rob and I only drink together. We don't go places together. We don't invite each other to our homes. "  
  
"We don't even care about each other." Damon added.  
  
Julian shrugged as best as he could, "All we do is drink together."  
  
"And talk about how forgotten we are." Damon added.  
  
"Forgotten?!" I exclaimed, "You two aren't forgotten."  
  
"Sure we are Madelyn." Julian told me.  
  
"You heard about Jenny and Elena." Damon added.  
  
I frowned, "Who's Elena?"  
  
"Elena is my *little* brother's lover. I helped save their friend's and them. Stefan got the girl and all I got was scars and nasty burns."  
  
Bonnie's a friend of Elena's. That's why she was looking for Damon, Julian told me telepathically.  
  
"So what Jenny and Elena dumped you two after you risked or gave your lives for them. They still remember you."  
  
I took a deep breath and turned to Julian, "When Jenny invited you to her wedding. What did she call you. Her hero. She knows that without you she wouldn't be *getting* married."  
  
I turned to Damon, "Did you know that a girl named Bonnie is looking for you? Her and I talked. In fact, she was the one who told Julian I was kidnapped."  
  
Damon turned to Julian, "You know Bonnie?" Julian had the gall to look innocent.  
  
"The fact remains, "I told him, "That if Bonnie wasn't alive today.."  
  
Gabriel interrupted, "We wouldn't be here waiting to die."  
  
"Do you want your favor granted now?" a voice hissed and echoed around us in the dark.  
  
Lewis and Gabriel looked around fearfully. Damon glanced around alert for danger while Dee glared at Julian. Julian looked around for the voice's source.  
  
"No, I don't" I replied, "I worked hard for that favor, Shadow dweller, and I'm not going to waste it by asking for you to remove that rune."  
  
Everyone turned toward me shocked, Julian and Dee most of all.  
  
"But it would be so simple. You can leave without feeling guilty.."  
  
"She said no." Julian told his elder.  
  
"Our friends will get us out of here." Lewis stammered.  
  
"Oh really. Are you sure?"  
  
Just then, the door opened and the rest of our team was thrown in. Shortly after the door slammed shut, someone activated the rune once more.  
  
"Sorry." Kaitlyn said rushing into Gabriel's arms.  
  
"They caught us while we were asleep." Jenny explained.  
  
"Now will you use your favor?" the Shadow dweller purred.  
  
Jenny and her friends froze as I replied, "No. I'll tell you when I want to use my favor."  
  
"If you wish... Shall we play another Game?"  
  
"What game?" I sighed.  
  
"I finally have the knack for Pocket Monsters. Shall we play?"  
  
"You want to play Pokemon!?" Julian exclaimed stunned.  
  
"I don't have any cards. Maybe some other time." I told the creature.  
  
He seemed to pout, "What about twenty questions? I'll tell you the counter spell for the ropes.."  
  
"Don't you dare!" Julian snapped at me.  
  
"What if you win?" I asked ignoring Julian.  
  
"Madelyn, don't" Jenny cried.  
  
"The prize will be as it always is: We. Want. You."  
  
"You don't know what you're messing with." Tom warned.  
  
"Madelyn, please!" Summer pleaded.  
  
I looked at everyone and said, "Let's do it."  
  
"No--o!" 


	16. Shadow Games

"No--o!" Julian cried.  
  
"Ladies first." the shadow man told me.  
  
"What a gentleman. Okay, I am an animal."  
  
"I am a lucky balloon." I began. "I love to sing. I tend to put people to sleep. I mark out my anger."  
  
"Really Madelyn, do you think I know not Pokemon?" the shadow man said, "The answer is Jiggly Puff."  
  
Rats!  
  
"Madelyn stop. You really don't want to play against one of my elders." Julian told me.  
  
"Julian, butt out." I replied and turned my back to him.  
  
"Since you were so easy on me, I'll give you an easy one." the shadow man said, "I am a person."  
  
"Maddy." Summer whimpered.  
  
"Ignore them. Go ahead." I told the invisible creature.  
  
"I am evil. You think you know me."  
  
I cocked my head to the side sensing Julian glaring at me.  
  
"I seem to like you but I don't." when I didn't answer he continued, "I'm pretty."  
  
Gotcha! "You're Julian." I replied with a smirk.  
  
"I don't know whether to be flattered or what." Julian commented.  
  
"I would be or what." Micheal replied.  
  
I smirked; I had the perfect question that would stump Mr. Bones there.  
  
"Ask me questions on this one, old man. I am a thing."  
  
"Old? I'm insulted. Do you use it daily?"  
  
I smirked, "Sometimes."  
  
"Is it something that you would bring along?"  
  
"Yes." I drawled.  
  
"Do you use it for work?"  
  
"Depends."  
  
"Can it be found in a classroom?"  
  
I smirked, "Depends."  
  
He growled at my impudence.  
  
"Madelyn." Julian warned, "If you win this, you and me are going to have a *long* talk."  
  
"Does it involve contact with mortals?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Does it require specific knowledge to use it?"  
  
"Nope."  
  
"Could you send it in the mail?"  
  
"Depends."  
  
I could sense him frowning, "Is it massed produced?"  
  
"Not in the way you're thinking." He isn't even close  
  
"Is it made of multiple parts?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Can you find it in a church?"  
  
"Yes. How do you know about churches?"  
  
"Really Madelyn, we're not stupid." Julian told me.  
  
I shot him a dirty look as the shadow man asked, "Is it soft?"  
  
"That question is irrelevant."  
  
He seemed to really frown then, "Is it usually visible?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Is it flexible?"  
  
"No." I'm gonna win, I remember thinking joyfully.  
  
Then my happiness melted with the creature's response, "Is it an emotion?"  
  
"Yes." I replied solemnly.  
  
"Can it be used as recreation?" the shadow man asked triumphant.  
  
"Sometimes."  
  
"Is it dark?"  
  
"Depends" I replied carefully.  
  
"Is it evil?"  
  
"Depends." I answered and added, "You asked twenty questions. What is your answer?"  
  
"You are hate."  
  
I stood there frozen to the spot. I can't believe it, I thought.  
  
Everyone around me awaited my answer with baited breath.  
  
"You lose." I told him emotionless still stunned that I beat him for the third time.  
  
"No--o! It can't be" the monster screamed, "You're clues, hate is the only answer."  
  
"No it isn't." I replied, "Think about it. To win, I had to think of the one thing that only *one* shadow man would have ever thought of and experienced."  
  
It dawned on Julian and whispered, "Love."  
  
"I believe you owe me the counter spell to Julian's ropes."  
  
I heard him growling and cursing in various languages, "You truly have much potential, Madelyn. Why not come and become our queen of shadows."  
  
I thought about it for awhile. The queen of the realm of Niflheim. Ruler of the shadow dwellers. Learn how to harness the runes in ways only Odin himself would ever know. I could be free of the taunts and veiled threats. I wouldn't ever be threatened by the Asgard coven. I wouldn't have to die.  
  
But what about Julian and the others, a tiny voice asked. What about their fate? They are in this mess because of you! The least you can do is stick with them.  
  
"No thank you. I appreciate the offer but I think I'll get out of this mess on my own." I replied,  
  
"Very well, Madelyn. " he said, "I'll await the time when you wish to use your favor."  
  
When everyone was sure the creature was gone, Julian glared at me.  
  
"Now what did that accomplish?" he demanded as I suddenly knew the counter spell. "You risked your life for nothing."  
  
"Not nothing. I know the counter spell but that won't get you out."  
  
Everyone looked at me stunned as I continued, "We need to wait until morning when they open the door. Remember there's another rune outside the door binding Julian."  
  
"So what do we do, sit around waiting for them?" Gabriel asked.  
  
I yawned, "I don't know about you guys but being food for Mr. Fang and defeating Shadow men has made me bushed."  
  
I walked over and curled up in a corner with Damon and Julian sitting next to me and soon drifted off to sleep without a thought of the future. 


	17. These Dreams

The mountains were a majestic purple. The sky was lapis with pin tiny pinprick stars. The air smelled of lavender and the unique spices of Julian and Damon's cologne.  
  
My mother stood in front of me smiling and beckoned for me to follow her down a neat dirt path.  
  
Her emerald green dress fluttered behind her as we ran into a spring meadow full of brightly colored flowers.  
  
"Do you know where we are?" she asked over her shoulder.  
  
"Where are we Momma?" I asked chasing after her through the waist high flowers in an ankle length black velvet dress.  
  
"Vanaheim." she replied stopping so quickly I ran into the back of her. She turned and smiled, "Isn't it beautiful?"  
  
"Very." I replied just as I found myself sitting on a pink blanket on trimmed green grass in front of my mother.  
  
"Madelyn, listen close to me." Mom said to me suddenly serious, "I want you to recall something for me."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"What do you remember about the runes? Tell me their names and what they can do." she demanded.  
  
"Thurisaz holds the power of shape changing. Othila means inheritance or of anything of value passed down. Kenaz can call up a torch. And Hagalaz can call down hail."  
  
"Do you know anymore?" Mom asked me.  
  
I nodded and continued, "Isa can bring ice. And Jera calls a spear. Pertho is symbolic of the powers of the earth. Algiz gives protective power which can avert or banish evil."  
  
"Remember Algiz, Madelyn" Mom told me, "Do you know anymore?"  
  
"Laguz is water and Sowulo the sun and destroyer of ice" I told her proudly.  
  
She smiled, "Very good. Do you know how they work? How to make them work in any world?"  
  
Suddenly, I did know and the knowledge stayed with me, not vanishing like the first time. "Yes."  
  
Mom nodded, "Show me."  
  
I drew the symbol of Kenaz in the air then said its name and a torch appeared in my hand.  
  
"Very good, now try without drawing the symbol. Instead, picture it in your mind." she instructed.  
  
I closed my eyes and pictured the rune. Two diagonal lines meeting at a forty degree angle. A less than sign. Then inside my mind I cried the name Kenaz. A bright flare of fire sprang around me, charring the blanket and then abruptly vanished, leaving not a mark on me.  
  
"Kenaz means fire, Madelyn. A torch is just one of the forms Kenaz can take." my mother told me. I was in awe of my mother's knowledge.  
  
She laughed, the sweetest sound I ever heard, "I'm in awe of *your* knowledge, my little miracle. It took me ten years to even get close to what you've just done."  
  
"Momma, how can I read thoughts?"  
  
"I'm not reading your thoughts, Madelyn. I'm reading your face." Mom explained, "You're a very transparent and innocent young lady." she sighed, "I'm glad you have Julian and Damon to protect you."  
  
I snorted, an ugly sound in such a beautiful place, "Damon hasn't protected me, he didn't do a thing when the Asgard coven kidnapped me."  
  
Mom cocked her head, "Have you ever thought that perhaps Damon was attempting play matchmaker between you and Julian?"  
  
My jaw dropped as Mom continued, "Despite all that those two say, the three forgotten heroes truly are the best of friends."  
  
"Rob, Julian and Damon--?"  
  
Mom nodded and stood up, "Come let's go see your brothers and sisters. They are looking forward to meeting you at last."  
  
I jumped up and followed her suddenly back in the tall field of wild flowers.  
  
We ran with our hair streaming out behind us in slow motion. We laughed like two children until we cleared the tall grass and saw five young people in the distance.  
  
I heard them cheer as we ran up to them and I saw what might have been. Two young men and three young ladies, all of them with similar features to my own.  
  
Mom pointed to the eldest, a woman with brown hair that fell in waves to her shoulders and wore a tan spaghetti string dress, "This is Shannon."  
  
My eldest sister's blue eyes twinkled as she smiled.  
  
Our mother moved to a red hair boy with mom's eyes dressed all in green, "This is Jason."  
  
Mom pointed to a man who could have been Jason's twin, if not for his brown hair and brown clothes. "This is his twin William."  
  
She then moved to a woman with brown hair and eyes like my own wearing a blue dress, "This is your sister Miranda."  
  
Miranda waved at me as mom moved to the last woman, one with blond hair and brown eyes wearing a dress of red. And this is Heather."  
  
Heather ran over and hugged me, "Madelyn!" she cried squeezing me tightly.  
  
Jason and William joined in and then Miranda and Shannon hugged us.  
  
"Baby sis!" Miranda exclaimed  
  
"You look great!" Shannon told me as everyone released me and each other.  
  
Tears of happiness flooded my eyes, "I can't believe you're here and I'm meeting you."  
  
Jason winked, "Where did you expect us to be? The shadow world?"  
  
William laughed, "Ignore him." he told me.  
  
"We have so much to show and tell you." Heather told me softly.  
  
I turned to Mom with tears trailing down my cheeks. She smiled and put her arm around me.  
  
"Whenever you feel lost and forgotten, close you eyes and remember this moment. Remember us and know you will *never* be forgotten."  
  
I suddenly awoke, disoriented. A head was resting lightly on my shoulder and someone was curled protectively around me. Everything settled and then noticed I could see everyone scattered around the room from the gray morning light streaming from the barred window.  
  
Julian was leaning against my shoulder while Damon slept around me. Jenny and Tom was cuddled up together across the room like Kaitlyn and Gabriel were close by with Anna. Summer was curled up next to Zach, Michael and Audrey. Lewis was leaning up against the door while Dee slept a short distance away.  
  
"Sleep well?" Julian whispered.  
  
I sat up with Julian, "I saw my siblings and Mom in Vanaheim. It was so beautiful."  
  
"Really. Did they say anything to you?"  
  
"That I'll never be forgotten." I replied vaguely, staring off into the distance.  
  
"No. You won't be."  
  
I turned and saw he was staring at me intensely. I blushed as Damon stirred then went back to sleep.  
  
"Are you mad at me about the Game?" I asked meekly.  
  
"I am absolutely furious at you for pulling that stunt." Julian replied frowning, "Why did you go against me and mess with the Others?"  
  
"Because.." Why *did* I do it? Why do I keep messing with the Shadow men?  
  
Julian smiled crookedly, "Because you like worrying me half to death?"  
  
"No"  
  
"Perhaps you're testing me to see how much I'll bend to your every desire." his eyes gleamed with vicious intent. I didn't like the way this was leading..  
  
"It has nothing to do with you." I replied turning my back to him and crossed my arms in front of me.,  
  
He turned me around, "Yes it does. Do you really think I'm going to let my elders have you?"  
  
"Why do you even care?" I demanded looking straight into his eyes.  
  
He smiled briefly, "You still don't get it. Even after all this time, you still don't know."  
  
I threw up my hands, "What? That I'm some debt that needs repaid? 'A life for a life" an' all that?"  
  
He shook his head and chuckled, "Yeah, something like that."  
  
With a scream of frustration, I jumped to my feet, over Damon and marched to the window to look outside.  
  
"Jules, you suck with women." Damon told Julian.  
  
"Shut up." Julian replied coming up behind me.  
  
I pretended to be admiring the beautiful dawn with its bright oranges and deep roses. The mountains were a deep purple, almost like the ones in my dream.  
  
"Madelyn, I admit I do want to repay you for resurrecting me. Save your life for giving me mine."  
  
"Well, I hate to tell you this but you're starting out lousy." I told him.  
  
"Don't I know it." he muttered and groaned.  
  
I spun around to face him, "Let's get this straight. I can do whatever I please, whether it's playing Games with Shadow men or not."  
  
"You will not!"  
  
"Well guess what, looks like you'll get your wish. Today I'm dying." I flew passed him curled up in my corner next to Damon and closed my eyes. Not long after I went back to sleep.  
  
"We were wondering where you went." Shannon told me as I found myself sitting on the pink blanket with my sisters and brothers.  
  
"No where." I murmured angrily.  
  
"Want me and Jase to beat that Julian guy up?" William asked knowing exactly what was bothering me. Jason cracked his knuckles menacingly.  
  
I laughed, "No. I can handle Mr. Controlling."  
  
"He really cares for you." Heather told me softly. "That's why he tries to control your actions."  
  
"Julian only cares about himself."  
  
Heather ducked her head, as Miranda said, "He has the hots for you. He pretty much admitted it!"  
  
"That's men for you." Shannon said with a shrug.  
  
"Julian's different from other guys. He's.." I replied softly.  
  
"Nice?" Jason asked.  
  
"Mysterious?" Heather inquired.  
  
"Courteous?" William said.  
  
"Old worldly." I responded. "He treats me nice, wants to protect me. He treats me like I'm some sort of treasure."  
  
Shannon gave me a wry look, "Sounds like he really likes you to me."  
  
"He likes Jenny. He always has." I told them sadly. "Jenny was the first and last girl he ever loved."  
  
"Who was he cuddled up to, huh?" Miranda demanded. "You."  
  
"Damon was curled around me too and he doesn't like me." I told them. "In fact he's the one who'll get me killed."  
  
Miranda shrugged, "Who says he doesn't like you too?"  
  
I groaned and noticed someone was missing, "Where's mom?"  
  
Everyone looked solemn.  
  
"Because of her vengeful actions against you, Mom will spend time in Hella's realm." Shannon revealed.  
  
"But because she refused to give out your location even when those witches threatened to kill her, she'll go to the Hall of Heroes after awhile and then be free to join us here." Heather told me proudly.  
  
I was stunned, "She died protecting me?"  
  
"Of course she did. She loved you" William told me  
  
"She always has, Madelyn. The phone call Father received, true the Shadow men were on the line, but she was the one who asked them to." Miranda added.  
  
"What was the price she had to pay?" I asked in a voiced that trembled.  
  
"To see what her actions did to you." Jason replied with a sad little smile.  
  
"She knew about your nightmares, she knew you possessed the Knowledge of Odin." Heather said softly.  
  
Shannon spoke up then, "Mom knew because of the later you would and will forever be in danger." She shrugged, "It drove her to insanity and caused Dad, grandma and grandpa to constantly protect you."  
  
"So you're saying Dad knew the danger I was in even before..?"  
  
Jason laughed, "Of course, Dad's psychic. Ever wonder how you knew Damon and Julian weren't human?"  
  
"Or why Dad couldn't be hypnotized." William added.  
  
I shrugged, "I thought it was normal."  
  
They laughed and I felt embarrassed.  
  
"Don't be embarrassed sis." Miranda told me putting one arm around me and gave me a hug. "It's only natural."  
  
On the other side, Jason put his arm around me, "So today is the day."  
  
"The day I die? Yup."  
  
Jason ignored me as Heather murmured, "The day it all ends."  
  
For a moment they gazed into the distance, thinking of things to come.  
  
Shannon turned to me, "Remember what Mom taught you?"  
  
I nodded.  
  
"Good. It's time." 


	18. Calm before the storm

Special thanks go to Irminsul.org for their rune information.  
  
As I awoke, the Maiden danced inside the cell flanked by ten impressive looking guards. Everyone sat up and watched her madly twirl and dance up to me then hold out an elegant white sheath dress for me.  
  
"Oh, this is so exciting!" she cooed. "Soon we will all have the knowledge."  
  
"I think you need it worse than anyone else." Damon said sweetly. "Julian, can you say ' air head'?"  
  
Everyone snickered, including six of the guards.  
  
She scowled and thrust the dress in my arms, "Strip and put this on. Now."  
  
I looked at her shocked, "You want me to take off my clothes in front of everyone here?!"  
  
"I wouldn't mind." Damon said.  
  
"I bet you have a sexy body." Julian replied.  
  
I blushed and put my foot down, "No way am I disrobing in front of anybody." I told her firmly.  
  
The Maiden sighed, "Well then, I guess one of these ten gentlemen will have to do it for you." One of them stepped up and leered at me openly.  
  
"She'll do it." Julian told the witch. I turned and was about to object when he sent me a chilling glance. At once the Maiden was happy and danced out of the prison cell with her guards. Once the door shut and the sealing rune spoken, Julian turned his attention back to the matter at hand.  
  
"I am not taking off my clothes." I told him crossing my arms in front of me.  
  
"How about all us gentlemen turn around and close our eyes. Then it'll be just like a locker room." Julian suggested. Damon glanced at Julian.  
  
You and me aren't gentlemen, I heard Damon tell him.  
  
"Shh, she doesn't know that." Julian replied with a smile.  
  
I smiled faintly as everyone turned their backs to me and closed their eyes. Just before I was going to take my shirt off, Julian whistled at me. I glanced at him and saw he was still had his back to me and, for an extra measure, hands over his eyes.  
  
"Want me to have Tom start singing in falsetto?" Julian asked as I slipped off my clothes.  
  
"Julian!" Jenny cried. I heard him chuckle as I slipped on the robe. Once I had the satiny sheath on, I told everyone I was decent.  
  
Julian's jaw dropped and Damon quirked an eye brow in appreciation.  
  
I closed my eyes and took a calming deep breath, ignoring the admiring glances I was getting from all the guys in the room.  
  
I am strong, I told myself. I am prepared for what is to be done. I will not weaken, I will not relent from my chosen path.  
  
I opened my eyes feeling like a changed person and everyone sensed the change. Joan smiled and gave me a thumbs up. Damon snorted and smiled faintly while Julian cocked his head and looked at me proudly. Jenny and Tom were holding hands feeling up to any challenge. Summer was no longer cowering and stood proudly with her boyfriend and two friends. Anna was smiling broadly with Kaitlyn and Gabriel.  
  
I walked over, banged on the door and waited, proudly displaying Thor's medallion around my neck.  
  
When the Maiden and her guards came in, she glared at me and noticed the medallion.  
  
"He won't help you." she told me as everyone was dragged outside one by one. "Thor only helps those worthy of his attentions, not thieves like you."  
  
I looked up at her, "I pity you, for you will never understand, despite the knowledge you seek."  
  
She glared at me and signaled for me to be taken away then followed.  
  
I was led into a grand dining hall where my friends were sat in front of a massive table full of food. Behind them sat two guards each, at the head of the table sat the Crone and Mother. Soon as I stepped in, the Maiden danced up to sit beside her friends at the head of the table.  
  
"Eat." The Mother ordered us as I sat down in between Damon and Julian. "This is you last meal and you must enjoy it."  
  
Damon why haven't you gone for someone, I thought sipping from the goblet in front of me.  
  
"I'm not quite powerful enough to do anything yet." Damon muttered then smiled briefly, "Lovely dinner arrangement, too bad there isn't anything for me."  
  
I rolled my eyes, "I think our hostesses don't want you to be a problem."  
  
Julian smirked, "He's a problem even without his powers."  
  
A few people chuckled.  
  
"Mother can I have him." The Maiden all of a sudden begged, "Please?"  
  
"No you may not!" The Mother exclaimed, "He's a shadow demon!"  
  
Julian groaned, "Not this again."  
  
The young girl pouted, "If the *thief* can control him then I can too."  
  
"Chick, Maddy doesn't control Julian" Joan told her. The two witches pretended Joan hadn't spoken.  
  
"Maiden," The Crone said calmly, "How would you control the aljunnu?"  
  
"The same way she does!"  
  
"Which is?" The Crone asked with a quirk of an eye brow.  
  
The Maiden was at a loss so the Crone continued, addressing me, "Madelyn, do you know how you've kept your little friend there under control?"  
  
"In a way." I shrugged, "I brought him back to life."  
  
The Crone looked impressed, "Are you saying that the rune stave no longer has his name on it?"  
  
I shrugged, "Maybe."  
  
"Well, I never expected for you to learn how to do such a thing." The Crone said, "And such a summons. Defying death--. Amazing."  
  
The shadow men were afraid of me summoning. Why?  
  
"What's a summons?" Summer asked and The Maiden laughed.  
  
"When someone learns an aljunnu's name, they can call them to do anything." The Crone explained.  
  
The Maiden continued, "It's like when I say 'Madelyn kiss my feet'. Only when you say the shadow demon's name, they have to do what you say."  
  
"So what did you demand?" The Mother inquired.  
  
What was I thinking, I asked myself. What were you thinking as the doctors placed monitors on your forehead? As they hypnotized you into sleep? As you began seeing the runes?  
  
I closed my eyes and remembered.  
  
"Okay Madelyn, what do see?" the plump and bald Doctor Christains asked me, his voice blending into the soothing noises of nature they played for me.  
  
"Runes."  
  
"Runes?" Christans asked puzzled.  
  
"I see the runes Fehu, Beorc and Raidho." I murmured. " That means I'm getting a boyfriend. Isn't that nice?"  
  
"Yes that is. what else do you see?"  
  
"Uruz, it means good fortune, exciting events and success is on the way. I'm happy, that means I won't go through my entire life bored."  
  
The doctor chuckled, "That's great but I want you to see something else for a moment. Perhaps those shadows that keep haunting you?"  
  
My mood darkened, "I don't want to. They're evil."  
  
The doctor tisked, "Shadows can't harm you, Madelyn. You're safe here."  
  
"I'm safe." I repeated as the friendly runes took a darker and sinister look.  
  
The rune Thurisaz was reversed-- someone was going to oppose me and they were stronger than me.  
  
I suddenly knew I needed help. Someone powerful, someone strong. Someone who would care about me and things concerning me. Someone who would hold me and keep me safe.  
  
The runes grouped together and blurred forming a new language. A language that I had never seen before but could understand. A name formed in front of me and I knew this was the one. The one the runes spoke of. My defender, my comforter, the one who would care.  
  
I opened my eyes and returned to the present.  
  
I sweetly smiled at the three women at the head of the table, "I demanded nothing that wouldn't have been given freely." I turned to Julian, "Is that right?"  
  
He looked at me, smiled and nodded.  
  
I felt warm and giddy and somewhat shocked, "You love me? Not Jenny?"  
  
"Probably always will love Jenny." Julian told me, "But it's you that I want to spend the rest of my immortal life with."  
  
"Aww how sweet." The Crone cooed as The Maiden shot me a look to kill, "A profession of love just as you're about to die."  
  
I smiled sweetly, "At least I got one."  
  
"Unlike you, ya old hag!" Julian added right before a guard punched him across the face. I jumped over toward him only to be shoved back into the chair.  
  
"You best savor your last meal. Tonight will be a killer" The Crone cackled. All of the coven began to laugh with her.  
  
No one else thought the joke was funny. 


	19. Storm

We had been waiting in our prison since after we participated in the final grand feast and dinner we would ever have.  
  
Summer cowered in Zach's arms and Joan cowered in Damon's. Tom and Julian took turns pacing while Lewis attempted to fiddle with the lock and Gabriel tried to knock out the guards with his powerful mind. Jenny and Kaitlyn watched their other halves from the floor next to Dee, who was practicing "butt kicking" in case the boys succeeded in opening the door and freeing Julian.  
  
I figured the rune was also dampening psychic powers.  
  
"I'm scared." Summer whimpered.  
  
I turned to her, "Don't be. I'm not."  
  
Damon shook his head and smirked at my confidence.  
  
"Any luck getting that door open?" Tom asked Lewis as Julian paced.  
  
"None. I'm thinking that rune above the door is inhibiting any use of psychic powers." Lewis replied with a sigh.  
  
"It's not doing anything to my powers." I said with certainty.  
  
Gabriel shot me a dirty look, "You don't have any powers."  
  
I shrugged, "Fine. If that's what you want to believe." I turned and faced the window again.  
  
The clean mountain breezing blew in the scent of burning wood and-- blood. I wonder what's giving off that scent, I asked myself before the door opened behind me and the Maiden once again danced inside with guards.  
  
"It's partytime." she exclaimed as the guards herded everyone out.  
  
I turned to face her calmly and walked up to her. "Did you ever think Odin had a purpose for me getting his knowledge?"  
  
"Shut up." she shouted shoving me outside flanked by three guards. "You stole it."  
  
I knew she would never learn, I thought shaking my head.  
  
As we walked through the complex, strange thoughts came to me. Words from Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera floated in.  
  
"Let me be your shelter, let me be your light." Upon reflecting on those words, I thought of Julian. Jenny was his light at first, now I was.  
  
"All I want is freedom, a world with no more night." That definantly was Julian.  
  
Then there was the song, Phantom of the Opera.  
  
"In all your fantasies, you always knew that man and mystery were both in you." Oh yeah, I bet the Phantom was really Julian in disguise.  
  
Just then I heard Julian begin humming the song. I couldn't help but laugh.  
  
The coven of Asgard consisted of around one hundred members and everyone of them had gathered around in a circle around the fire and alter.  
  
Once inside the circle I was led up to and laid upon the sacred alter before the Maiden, Mother and Crone. All was eeriely silent as The Crone spoke.  
  
"Greetings my children." she called out and smiled, "The time has finally come for we of Asgard to be rewarded for our long awaited reward from Odin."  
  
"Knowledge" everyone whispered as I thought I saw something move in the shadows.  
  
The Crone continued, "The gods have delivered the theif and her unholy brethren so we might banish their evil for good!"  
  
Everyone except my friends and love cheered at the prospect of our deaths.  
  
"With the shedding of the theif's life's blood and the divine words spoken, my the wisdom of Odin be ours!"  
  
The Mother passed The Maiden the wicked blade they tried to kill me with two other times then. Very carefully The Maiden drew the blade across my throat and then to my wrists.  
  
Julian and Damon tried to rush the circle with the rest of the guys but the guards held them back.  
  
Suddenly the Crone spoke and everything seemed to freeze.  
  
"Sinere quo scientia ire. Let the knowledge go. Sinere quo scientia esso meusa. Let the knowledge be mine!" she screamed and I felt the power of her words.  
  
I felt suddenly warm as cool waves seem to be going through my blood and out onto the alter then collected in a silver goblet. The more blood that was collected, the more I felt the waves and the weaker I got.  
  
I knew then that not only was I being drained of Odin's knowledge but of my very soul. Everything that was me was being collected. My love for the music of Phantom of the Opera, the love I shared with Julian, my pain and suffering was going into a goblet like red wine.  
  
I began drifting without meaning to and saw everything that followed.  
  
Someone screamed, "Now" and three new players entered the arena for my life.  
  
One looked similar to Damon, only taller and with emerald green eyes that seem to glow as he led his troops. This was Stefan, Damon's brother.  
  
Next to him was a woman wielding one semi automatic in each hand. Her long blond hair glowed in the moonlight and her lapis eyes flashed with each discharge of her gun. Elena  
  
Slightly behind her was the familar face of Bonnie throwing deadly fireballs into the scattering circle.  
  
Following the new players was my father firing off shots like Elena and Rob, who went immediately toward everyone with a bag of weapons.  
  
Gabriel and Dee shot anyone within range as Jenny and Rob struggled to free Julian with little success.  
  
I whispered the counter spell, Zithuan, and the ropes fell off of Julian like magic. With a look of pure malvolance, he began throwing witches and warlocks without laying a hand of them.  
  
It soon became apparent that despite the weapons, my friends and father were going to lose. So I pulled out my trump card.  
  
I gingerly opened my eyes and whispered, "I'm ready for my favor. I want you and your brothers to help my friends and family against the coven."  
  
Lightning struck and one moment everyone was being surrounded by the coven, the next ten Shadow men stood in front of everyone.  
  
"What are those things?!" Joan exclaimed in revulsion.  
  
"The Shadow men." Jenny murmured.  
  
The skeleton Shadow man I played Games with spoke up, "We are here to settle the agreement with Madelyn Olslin." The coven looked fearful as the ten leered at them.  
  
"P-prehaps we might make a deal." The Mother stuttered.  
  
All of them seemed interested. "What type of deal?" the Shadow man purred.  
  
The Mother visibly relaxed, "You forget dear Madelyn's deal and you can have her friends."  
  
The Shadow man cocked his head, "That would not be fair."  
  
"Thorton's and her friends' live do not belong to us because the youth was summoned." Another with a crocodile's face and a gorilla's body added.  
  
"We deal in fairness. Deal denied." The first said before all of them rushed the coven. Without a pause, my friends and father joined the fight once more.  
  
Pandemonium ruled the meadow. Bodies flew everywhere, people screamed and no body noticed when five blond Valkyrie warriors joined on my side.  
  
The next addition was Thor himself, who guarded over my unconscious body. Not soon after the great warriors joined the battle was over and my side won.  
  
Julian rushed to my side as Thor stepped aside.  
  
"Madelyn, wake up." He whispered.  
  
I cracked open my eyes, "I'm tired. Can we go home?" I asked weakly.  
  
Julian laughed in relief as he carefully lifted me into his arms. "After you go to the hospital."  
  
Valkyries, Jenny, Tom, Dee and Thor cleared the way for Julian and me to leave with my dad close behind.  
  
The skeleton shadow man stepped in front of us and Julian glared at him. The creature ignored him and addressed me.  
  
"I have a secret to show you, Madelyn." His form began to waver and standing before me was a handsome young man with shoulder length light brown hair and ice blue eyes I only saw on Huskies. He wore a normal pair of jeans and black top with a pair of hiking boots.  
  
"You're human." I said in awe.  
  
He smiled wryly, "My name is Keegan and no, I'm not human." With that him and all the Shadow men vanished.  
  
"He gave you power over him." Julian said as we walked on.  
  
I snuggled closer to him and sighed, "No one truly has power over another. Even me."  
  
I heard him chuckle, "If only you knew, my love. If only." 


	20. Epilogue

It's been a year since I first met Julian. A year since I first realized how great my life is and how unforgettable I am.  
  
Still, bullies torment me every day at school. People call me Mad Maddy and threaten me. Fortunately, Joan constantly sticks up for me and slowly I am becoming popular. She says it's pay back for saving her and everyone from the Asgard coven.  
  
Oh yes, the coven. The Crone and Mother were arrested once more and this time they are going away for a long time. The Maiden mysteriously vanished after our confrontation and hasn't been seen or heard from since. The rest have disbanded and become active in safer covens that don't deal with sacrifices.  
  
Damon left a few months after that unforgettable night but left everyone with his current address. Elena and Stefan were glad that they could at least write him. I hope wherever Damon is he's happy and finds a girl of his own. And hopefully soon.  
  
  
  
Author's note:  
  
I'd like to thank everyone of you who reviewed. People like Damon's luv Bunny, Amy, Spellcial, LadyNyght, Suga Bay Bee, SuperSaiyan-Jinn4, Kittykatt and OnKloudNyne are the reason I kept writing. So thanks all of you.  
  
1 ---Kitten 


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